Unexpected
by AuroraRain18
Summary: Highschool AU: Life is going pretty good for Lloyd Garmadon at Ninjago City Acadamy. I mean, he's got his amazing friends, he's the school football hero, and has pretty decent grades. That is, until the arrival of a new student, by the name of Claire Wilson, takes things in an unexpected direction...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So far I have loads of votes for this AU, so I decided to finally write it up. For now, I think it's only gonna be a one-shot, but that depends on how much support I get on this. Maybe, if you guys like it, I can write a few more chapters. I had a lot of fun writing the AU and hope I can continue it, but I think I need to focus on my current two stories. I don't know though...**

 **.: Claire :.**

Ninjago city was a massive city containing many prestigious businesses and stores. To most people it was paradise... with its concrete sidewalks and bustling streets, it had drawn in many residents. But, for a certain ginger, it was chaos. Her whole life had been a peaceful kind of mess. Not this.

Claire was, needless to say, a bit overwhelmed at the city unfolding in front of her. There were too many people, too many noises, too many smells... basically too much of everything. Not like her former home located in the mountains which she resided in with her foster parents. The little home didn't contain that much space, but it still contained some of Claire's childhood memories. To her it didn't matter.

However, to many other people, it did. When a terrible accident had killed her foster parents, Claire was forced to move to New Ninjago City. There, she would attend an academy and finish her education. At least, that was the agreement.

When the academy director, Wu, had heard about the incident, he spared no time in making sure she was alright. Claire, honestly, was grateful when a request for enrollment at New Ninjago City's biggest academy was sent by him. And here she was... in the place she'd never imagined she'd ever be. She just felt so... so...

Nervous.

Claire realized, right as she hopped off the train, that her life would no longer be the same. Here, she would have to attend school, meet new people, and most likely get a job. Here, she would have to be normal.

The thought made her stomach churn as she looked up at the huge building in front of her. The ginger had only been to a handful of places in her lifetime, but school was not one of them. She had always been homeschooled, by Wu himself when he fostered her, and her most recent foster parents. So, school was just a distant place that she didn't know anything about. All she knew was that there was no way she was making it out of this alive.

As she walked up the staircase and into the main hallway, a lot of weird looks and whispers started to arise. Of course, no one said anything to her, instead they shot her glances and then forgot she ever existed as they continued talking to her friends. Claire gulped, keeping her head down as she walked further into the school.

She had to admit, that while it looked big on the outside, the maze of hallways made it seem even bigger from the inside.

 _How can anyone manage to navigate around here?_ The young girl asked herself hoping to find Wu's office for instructions. She finally had an idea of where to go when a teacher gladly helped. But, as Claire turned around, she could feel the questioning gaze of the teacher following her. It took many deep breaths for Claire to finally calm down as she turned the corner and found the room she was looking for.

"Here goes nothing." Claire muttered, turning the handle and walking into the office. It wasn't that fancy in Claire's opinion, but she supposed it was hard to keep track of paperwork and those sorts, so she couldn't really complain.

"Claire!" A familiar voice exclaimed.

Claire found herself staring at her old friend Wu, or Headmaster Wu, as she was now supposed to call him.

"Wu!" She smiled. "I-It's so good to see you again!" The girl managed to say, at a loss for words.

"My, haven't you grown." The elder mused, eyeing Claire in disbelief.

The ginger chuckled, sitting in a chair. "Well, it's been a while. What can you expect?"

The two talked for about a good ten minutes, before The Headmaster caught track of the time. Both of them knew they couldn't talk to each other forever.

As the teen was handed a handful of clothing items and given directions to the nearest bathroom, she knew that this was it. She was actually going through with this. As soon as she would put this uniform on, her life would no longer be normal.

She stood in front of the mirror, considering what she was doing. Claire, for one, didn't like the style of the clothing. The uniform contained a small light gray skirt which went down to her thighs; a white blouse, which fit her figure well; and a dark grey vest with the school crest on the top left of it. The edges of the vest were green, matching the green tie that she was given. And, even though Claire still had to admit that she looked good, she still wished she was allowed to wear her old clothes.

Sighing, she fixed her ginger ponytail and made her way back to the office where she was given an ID and a rule/guideline book, which all students were required to understand. With a warm smile, Wu then sent Claire on her way to the girl's first class... history.

The final bell had yet to ring seeing as a handful of people were still in the hallways, allowing Claire to hesitate before opening the homeroom door.

 _Is it too late to turn back?_

As she finally turned the handle, she figured the answer was yes.

 **.: Lloyd :.**

Lloyd Garmadon had spent a majority of his years at the academy in which he and his friends attended, courtesy of his mom and uncle. So in his years, he had gotten the chance to meet almost everyone in the school. Not to mention that everyone around the whole school new his name. During his school years, his reputation had grown and grown as he became a very enjoyable student to have. Not to mention he was basically a football hero. He was what his fellow students called Golden.

Next to him came his friends, who had also earned reputations of their own. They weren't as good as his, but Lloyd didn't care. Nya, Skylor, and Pixal were new to the group of friends, seeing as they were the only girls, but as very successful cheerleaders, they were easily considered part of the 'pretty and popular girl' group. Kai, Nya's brother, was basically the guy that every girl wanted to be with, besides Lloyd. Cole, one of Lloyd's other good friends, was the football team captain. Next to Cole came Jay, Nya's nerdy boyfriend, and Zane, Pixal's boyfriend, who was known as the guy that literally knew everything. Lloyd had no idea how their friend group came to be, seeing as everyone was so different, but he was glad that it happened.

Looking around the homeroom, Lloyd wished that nothing would ever change.

Except... it did.

You see, new students were very rare at the academy, seeing as it was already so full. So, to see a ginger haired girl in which Lloyd didn't recognize made him freeze. Actually, everyone froze. The girl, however, didn't seem to care. She kept her head down and sat in the very back row next to the window.

"Who is she?" Kai whispered to the group, who had crowded around Lloyd's desk, like they did almost every day.

"Must be a new student." The golden blonde boy answered, giving her another look. She had rested her head on her hand and sat looking out the window with an unreadable expression.

"That's unusual." Zane observed, earning several nods of agreement.

Before the conversation of the group could continue, the teacher entered, which caused the classroom to go silent.

"Good morning class." Lloyd's mother announced.

"Goodmorning." The classroom responded, except for the new girl in the back of the room, who stayed silent.

As all of the students scrambled around to get back to their seats, Misako cleared her throat.

"As some of you may know, a new student has joined us today."

Lloyd turned in his seat to see the girl's gaze move from the window to the teacher, who was staring at her intently. She looked around, wondering what she should do. Clearing her throat again, his mom gestured for the girl to come to the front of the classroom.

Lloyd watched the new girl walk slowly walk up to the front of the classroom, noticing how her fingers trailed along the wall. She stopped at the front of the classroom, and Lloyd found himself trying not to rudely stare at her. Her uniform was the same as every girls uniform, but he took into account that she didn't seem like most girls in the classroom. She was in fact, very pretty, when he got a good look at her, and unlike most girls, she wasn't wearing any makeup.

"What would your name be?" Misako asked as the ginger haired girl stood in the front.

"Claire." She responded, not in a nervous tone, but definitely not in a confident tone.

"Well, Claire, tell us a bit about yourself."

Claire looked towards the window again, biting her lip, and Lloyd exchanged looks with Kai, who sat in the desk next to him.

"This is my first time in the city." She finally claimed, not tearing her eyes away from the window.

"And how are you finding it?"

"Loud." Claire turned back to the class, who stared at her with weird expressions. "It's terrible."

"Where did you live before?"

"A house." She simply stated. Her tone didn't have any humor in it what so ever, which surprised Lloyd.

Everyone laughed at her answer. But Lloyd soon realized they weren't much laughing at her answer as they were at Claire. Claire, however, didn't seem to mind.

The teacher made a face, obviously not finding it more funny than odd. "Well, then, what do you like to do?"

Claire wrinkled her nose. "It depends on the day." She admitted, looking to the teacher.

More laughs sounded, and Lloyd was trying his hardest not to laugh at the strange girl either.

"My five favorite things are cinnamon scented candles, stars, snow globes, blue flowers... and purple ink."

By the time she finished Misako looked at the class expectedly, causing more laughs to die down.

"That is very... interesting, Claire. You may... have a seat."

Without hesitation Claire walked from where she stood to the seat she had chosen as her own. And, while everyone turned their attention to the teacher, Lloyd's eyes followed Claire. Like he did with most people, he started to categorize her into a certain group, which was quite easy for him. However, to his dismay, he couldn't quite do it with this girl. She just didn't click with any group he'd seen... yet she did in so many ways.

The first thing he thought was 'pretty girl'. But her personality didn't quite fit that. Maybe she was geeky like Jay was... or maybe she was into sports. Usually he could figure it out just by looking at the person, but Claire, she just seemed different to him.

 _Is that good or bad?_ The boy questioned. For a change, he didn't know the answer.

 **.: Claire :.**

Claire honestly didn't know which was worse... Just being 'the new girl' or getting humiliated in front of the class. She sighed, figuring they were both equally as bad. Apparently she'd already messed up her chance at a good reputation. Now, not even an hour into her first day, she was just 'the weird girl'.

Already she was dreading the agreement to come here, seeing as _nothing_ worked in her favor, but the ginger knew she'd have to make the most of it, seeing as she'd be there until the school year ended.

"Now, most of you have been quite lazy in the most recent day off. Which is why we're reviewing what we've learned so far." Misako started, gesturing to a map of Ninjago. "Anyone want to start us off at the beginning?"

Only three hands were raised... which made everyone gasp. Whenever a question was asked, normally only two hands would shoot up. Everyone's eyes traveled to Claire, who resisted the urge to shrink back. Attention was _not_ her favorite.

Misako, curiously, nodded towards the new student.

Claire sighed, starting the long explanation of the history of Ninjago. "No one knows for sure what happened in the beginning, but legend states an ancient warrior, by the name of the First Spinjitzu Master, created Ninjago with four artifacts. The Scythe of Quakes, the Sword of Fire, the Nun chucks of Lightning, and the Shurikens of Ice made up what the Master called, the Golden weapons." Claire paused, thinking about how to word the rest. "It is said that when he passed, the four weapons were placed in the care of his two children, one of which became corrupt. Eventually, as they grew older, and sometime after the supposed Serpentine War, he was banished to the Underworld, one of the sixteen realms."

The girl looked at the teacher, wondering whether or not she should continue. "Go on." Misako urged, intrigued.

"Well, after that, is a period of peace. After the battle with his brother, the good son hid the Golden Weapons across Ninjago, placing the artifacts in the care of four elemental dragons."

"You mentioned The Serpentine wars. Care to explain?"

Claire sighed yet again, ignoring the red hue in her cheeks. "The Serpentine War. Although, no one has discovered whether or not the Serpentine were actually real, or if they still exist, we do know a battle was fought. According to history, the First Spinjitzu Master created the race of the Serpentine to live among us humans. However, being so different from each other, the two races became unable to trust one another. So, to settle the disputes, The five serpentine tribes united to fight against the people who opposed them. To help the defenseless people, The Elemental alliance was formed. A group of people who had received some aspect of power from the First Spinjitzu Master. Among them were those who had inherited the original four elements of the Golden Weapons. It's an interesting myth, to be honest."

"...Very." Misako, hesitantly agreed. There was just something about this girl that made the elder think there was more to her then meets the eye.

Claire looked away from anyone who was staring at her... one of which happened to be a boy, about her age. While most others decided it was awkward to stare at the girl for too long, this boy's stare remained... and it wasn't exactly a nice stare.

Claire met fixed her eyes on him, looking into his deep green eyes, before he broke eye contact and looked towards the front of the classroom.

The distressed teen decided to put his cold demeanor behind her, instead, looking out the window. It was raining... and it was a known fact that Claire _hated_ the rain.

 _297 days left to go_ she thought, not giving a single care about what Misako was saying for the rest of the period.

 **.:Lloyd:.**

Girls. It was a word that somehow always gained in attention. And not in a good way. The thought of girls, and possibly being with one... he didn't even want to go there. There were much more important things in his life than dating.

But, did that mean he was rude to them? Certainly not! He made sure to flash friendly smiles towards everyone, boy or girl, since day one... but this girl was a whole new character.

Unlike most giddy girls, she seemed stuck-up. Like an annoying know-it-all. And, he didn't like it. Not one bit. When she talked about the history of Ninjago, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was enjoying all the attention. The ginger haired girl honestly looked bored talking in front of the class... like she was above everyone.

After hearing her explain the history of Ninjago, Lloyd suddenly knew exactly how to classify her. She obviously belonged to the snobby, stuck-up, rude, know-it-all, getting-on-my-nerves group, which had very few occupants.

And Lloyd could tell his friends were thinking the exact same thing.

They were all currently at lunch, discussing Claire, the new girl. So far every class she had was shared with the boys, except one.. The one class she didn't share with the group of boys, she shared with Nya. And, they all hoped Nya was holding up okay.

It turned out, to Lloyd's pure annoyance, Claire was good at almost literally every subject. Every class there were only three hands raised. One belonging to Zane and the other two to Lloyd and Claire. And, it could be said, that throughout the eventful school morning, both Lloyd and Claire developed a strong feeling for the other... hatred.

"Where could Nya be?" Jay whined, trying to see if she's already in the lunchroom.

"Relax, Jay. She's probably trying to find Skylor and Pixal. You know, girl stuff?" Cole said, rolling his eyes.

"Ohhhhh, right."

Lloyd met Cole's gaze and could tell he was also picking up on Jay's obvious lovesickness.

"Hey there she is!" Jay suddenly shouted, waving his arms to get Nya's attention. The group turned around to indeed see Nya. But when they saw who she was talking too, they all gasped, too shocked to say anything.

Nya like always, walked along Pixal and Skylor... but to their surprise Claire was laughing with the three girls as well.

At the sight of the new ginger haired girl talking with his sister, Kai choked on his drink, nearly spraying it everywhere.

"Guys," Nya happily announced as she arrived at their usual table, "This is Claire."

Claire looked like a deer in the headlights as she looked at the unhappy boys... but, she had to admit, the most deadly look shot her way was from the blonde boy.

Lloyd was, let's just say, not the most enthusiastic person he could be. When he caught sight of her chocolate brown eyes on him, he glared harder than he ever had before.

Claire's grip on her lunch tray tightened.

"Claire, this is _Kai_ , my _brother_ , _Jay_ , my _boyfriend_ , _Cole_ , _Zane_... and _Lloyd_." Nya said, through gritted teeth. Lloyd could tell she wasn't happy about the way they were all treating Claire, but Lloyd could live with Nya's anger. All he could do at the moment was shoot Claire daggers.

Even more to his surprise, Claire didn't look away. Not once. Not even while Nya was introducing them. Her eyes stayed right on the green ones in front of her. Which was pretty impressive. Most people would have cracked under the pressure of glares... but Claire was headstrong. All of them, even Nya, Skylor, and Pixal took notice of this.

"Sorry, Nya," Claire stated, tearing her gaze away, "But, I think I'm better off eating in the Library today... _or every day_." The ginger teen muttered the last part under her breath with a sigh.

"Oh-Okay... I'll see you later then?"

Nya looked crest fallen.

"Maybe we could grab a bite to eat tonight?" The ginger suggested, with a tiny smile.

"Yeah! That could work..." Nya agreed, disappointed, but enthusiastic nonetheless.

Claire flashed a small smile before walking off to the library, her head hung low. Lloyd smiled with satisfaction.

"So now that she's gone..." Kai started, scooting closer to Skylor.

"Why do you guys have to ruin _everything_." Nya and Skylor hissed simultaneously, making all of them, except Zane and Pixal, wince.

"What do you mean?" Jay questioned, waving off the previous event.

"What I _mean_ is I introduce you to the _nice_ and _friendly_ new girl, and you act completely rude! Seriously, are you guys a bunch of immature five year old's? Don't you see how hurt she was?"

"Pft! Hurt? Nah!" Jay laughed, ignoring Nya's glare.

"Jay!" She shouted, whacking him on the arm. "I'm serious!"

"Nya," He argued, " _I'm_ serious."

This earned him another whack on the arm.

"Why is everyone making such a big deal out of the new girl, anyways?" Cole asked, shoving a spoonful of corn into his mouth before spitting it out. "School food." The black haired boy remarked.

"One," Nya pointed out, "Her name's Claire." She looked around at all of them with an annoyed stare. "And two, it's uncommon for a new student to join in the middle of a semester. The school's pretty much full."

"So?" Cole continued.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Of course people are going to talk about her. Hardly anyone can get an enrollment at this time of year. How did she? She's mysterious..."

"She's not mysterious if you try and get to know her!" Skylor exploded at her oblivious boyfriend.

"Exactly." Nya agreed.

"Look, I say we just stop talking about her. She obviously has no role in our lives." Cole mumbled, stirring his soup and not looking particularly interested in eating it.

The raven haired girl across from Cole groaned. "She's my _roommate_."

Everyone stared at her in shock, gaping.

"B-But what about Skylor?" Kai asked.

The red-head shrugged. "I'm with Pixal now."

Everyone quickly tried to quickly wrap their heads around the concept.

"Well..." Lloyd cleared his throat, making everyone turn to him. "I still don't like her." Which was an understatement.

Skylor couldn't take this anymore. "By all means, hate her, Lloyd. But you have the reputation for being the nice guy. How is hating the new girl considered nice? What has she ever done to you?"

Lloyd opened his mouth to shoot something back at Skylor, but found himself questioning something she said. What _did_ Claire do to make him so angry at the thought of her. They had yet to have a conversation. Yet, being in class after class with her made him aggravated. Whenever she raised her hand to politely answer a question...

It hit him like a truck. He was jealous. Here Claire was on her very first day and she managed to get all the attention. From the teachers especially. It was normally him... but now it was her.

Now he knew why he couldn't classify her into a particular group. It was because she belonged in the same group as him. She was golden.

Lloyd clenched his fist knowing one thing... It was going to be a long year. He only hoped her stay was temporary.

 **It's shorter than I thought it'd be, but trust me, this took a long time. This is some of the best writing I've ever done. Honestly, I feel quite proud. And I** _ **really**_ **hope you guys love reading it just as much as I loved writing it. Anyways, since this is a new story, there are no reviews to announce. I, however, hope that won't be the case much longer. Peace out!**

 **-Rainbowaly03**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! It's continuing! The only question you have to ask is 'for how long, though?'… Seriously, dudes. The support on the last chapter was AMAZING! I could have cried. Thanks for sticking with me :D**

Chapter 2

 **.: Claire :.**

If given the choice between the most miserable moments of her life and her solitary life with no family back in the mountains, Claire had to admit, she'd go back. This was her decision after attending five whole days of school. And _miserable_ was an understatement. By the time Friday rolled around the teen was convinced she wouldn't return alive.

As soon as the end of the day bell rang, Claire rushed up to the dorm she shared with Nya... just like she always did. Then she'd finish all of her assignments... just like she always did. After she finished, she and her roommate would go get some carry-out dinner... just like they always did. And of course, after dinner, the ginger would climb into bed... wait for it... _just like she always did._ And when morning came, Claire would climb out of bed, start the day, and make it out of school alive... just like she always did.

She had to admit that she was starting to see why Nya says she was so predictable.

The distressed teen plopped down on her bunk, staring up at the ceiling fan, and undoubtedly questioning the meaning of her life. Certainly, there was more to it than the schedule that she had developed. There had to be.

It took her several long moments to realize that today was not going to be normal. Not at all.

This was Claire's first Friday at the academy... so, she hadn't realized right away that Nya wouldn't be here. Like most students, she'd be out and about. Most likely on a date with her boyfriend.

Claire sighed in a saddened realization. Maybe Friday wasn't a good thing after all.

Sure enough, the ginger's phone buzzed, revealing a message from Nya, and confirming her previous thought. Hesitantly, she reached over and typed out a reply, letting Nya know not to worry about her. Even though all she wanted Nya to do at the moment was worry about her.

Only a few moment later, her phone buzzed again, with another message from her friend.

'For one day, just do something outside the dorm. Would it kill u to go meet other people?'

Claire already knew her response. Of course, she knew it'd kill her. Her classroom peers were far from fond of her, especially Nya's group of friends. Every day she ate lunch in the library just to show Nya she couldn't do what was asked of her.

But, deep down, she admitted Nya was right. She couldn't seclude herself from the rest of the world. At least, not forever. She hardly made it through five days of loneliness. The whole year would drive her insane. So, for her sake, Claire got out of bed and changed into some more casual clothing, moving rather slowly at the thought of going outside the dorm without someone with her. Eventually she stumbled around, gathering her things, which wasn't much; her bag, a book, the dorm keys, and some money, which Nya had lent her.

 _Would it kill you_?

Nya's words echoed in her head as she finally made her way to the door. However, she stopped at the handle, questioning just that.

 _Only one way to find out_...

As the door swung wide open, the teen stayed fixed in her place, so sure that she'd fall over dead at any second. But, she managed to regain herself after a few deep breaths. Each one was agony, taunting her feelings, and making her stomach churn. She didn't understand what it was that made her step out the door and into the hallway, but she understood one thing. She wanted to go back.

Unfortunately for her, this was her new life. And there was no turning back.

.::.

Claire found herself at Ninjago city park, after hearing from Nya that it was the biggest place in the city that supported nature. It didn't beat the mountains, but the small park was enough to calm her racing concerns. Instinctively, she walked over to a tree and gently placed a hand on it, almost as if she was making sure that it was in fact real.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped from her mouth as she discovered that it was.

For five long days, Claire felt as if nothing was real anymore. Everything was plastic... not what it seemed. Even Nya, her closest friend. It had made her perception of reality begin to cease. But, this tiny confirmation of this _real_ tree was enough to bring her back to the surface. For the first time in five days, Claire felt that the world was real again. It wasn't just a part of her wild imagination.

The ginger was on a nearby park bench in no time at all, sprawled out against the wood and reading her book... or a form of reading.

Several people who had passed gave her questioning, and mostly concerned, looks when they discovered that her book was upside down. But, Claire didn't mind in the slightest. While reading upside down wasn't logical, she found it calming. She liked the way the words looked.

However, some people didn't stop to appreciate her sense of calm.

"What are you doing?" A voice familiar yet unwelcome voice to Claire had asked. She peeked over her book and became disappointed with what she saw. Lloyd Garmadon, her rival in every way, stood in front of her, examining what was before him. Claire had the urge to shrink away, yet though better of it. She didn't want him to think he intimidated her in any way shape or form. Even though he did. Every time she saw him, she wanted to run away.

"Reading," she replied in a confident manner. She had no need to be embarrassed by her morals. And, she understood very well that they were what made her different. Imagine, being the same as everyone else. The thought sickened her.

For once, Lloyd didn't look annoyed with her. In fact, he, like everyone else, seemed concerned.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Yes. I do know it's upside down." She answered his unspoken question, turning another page.

"But why?" The boy continued.

"I like the feel of the words."

Lloyd narrowed his eyes in thought, most likely trying to solve her riddle of words. Claire however, resisted the urge to laugh at his sudden confusion. Only because it was no riddle.

"I don't get you." He said at last.

The girl before him, looked up in surprise at his response, yet couldn't help but chuckle.

"No one truly ever 'gets' something. People just _think_ they do."

Lloyd shook his head in disagreement. "No. No. That doesn't make _any_ sense."

Claire had to admit, that this situation seemed quite different than the ones she had experienced while at the academy. While Lloyd was still essentially questioning her logic, he was acting in a more respectful manner. Maybe it was just her, but she could have sworn that he smiled a little.

"That's just the thing. Just because it doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean the logic isn't there. Think of that in vice-versa. You think you 'get' someone, but you don't. You only believe that you _do_ because that's the logical explanation for feeling a connection towards someone."

Lloyd gave her a quizzical look.

"Okay, well, look at you. You have friends and stuff. How did you become friends though? Because your brain told you that there was something that you had... the connection, right? But, just because you think you know someone, aka this connection, doesn't mean it's actually there. You only think it's there. For all you know, tomorrow, Zane could decide he wants to join a rock band. Which, from what I've seen, is very unlikely to happen"

Lloyd let out a lighthearted laugh at her example, which made her freeze. The guy who had hated her from day one was laughing at something she said. And it _wasn't_ meant to hurt her. He was being genuine.

"That makes so much sense... yet doesn't."

She smiled, lifting her book, so she didn't have to meet his eyes. "Sometimes the best logic... doesn't have any logic."

"Like the logic of you reading your book upside down?"

"Exactly!"

Lloyd shook his head in amusement, looking down at her. "Curiouser and curiouser."

With that, he walked away, leaving the teenage girl dazed.

The whole interaction, to her, was extremely unexpected. Lloyd and her hardly made any contact, and when they did, they were most always strained. Sometimes she couldn't stand the thought of him. Yet, after that conversation, the thought of him gave her heart a flutter of emotion.

"Curious is right." She mumbled, discarding the unfamiliar feeling.

She was about to turn her attention back to her upside-down book, but her phone suddenly buzzed.

'Was that Lloyd you were talking too? Also, don't forget. Cheerleading tryouts tonight. And you're coming. That's no request. I'll see you at five!"

Two things ran through her head as she read the message; How did Nya know I was talking to Lloyd? And no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no... just no. Please no...

Unfortunately, it was a yes. Only, it wasn't like she was supposed to remember. Nya had asked her whether or not she'd be interested right as she was about to fall asleep...

 _Nya you've been a bad, bad girl_.

There was no doubt that her roommate had deliberately asked Claire about the idea at the time she did. And now there was no backing out.

She was going to have to perform, whether she wanted to or not.

 **.: Lloyd :.**

As Lloyd walked away he knew _exactly_ why Jay said to meet him at the park. Not because Jay himself would be there... but because Claire would.

At first he wanted to yell out in anger when he saw the girl reading on the bench. But it was the way that she was reading that drew him in. He still didn't understand it, however he was starting to understand a little bit of Claire.

For five whole days, Lloyd had the opportunity to look into Claire's world. Of course, he had noticed she did things differently. But he was only starting to wrap his head around the concept of _why_ she was so different. He had to admit, only to himself, that he found her fascinating... in a way.

The fact that Jay had set them up like that set him on edge. Was there a meaning behind it, or was his close friend trying to mess with him?

Either way, Lloyd knew that the conversation with the ginger haired girl had put them both in a different atmosphere. Maybe not exactly _friendship_... probably more of a frenemy thing.

 _Buzz_ 'So...?' A text from Jay had said. Lloyd breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down. He wasn't one to get angry... that was Kai's job.

'I hate you'

 _Buzz_ 'So, the usual?'

'Why?'

 _Buzz_ 'I need a little fun in life'

'Why?'

 _Buzz_ 'Claire's the closest you've ever gotten to a girl. Even if it's not the nicest relationship'

'Why?'

 _Buzz_ 'Geez, calm down okay? What was I supposed to do?'

'WHY?'

 _Buzz_ 'FINE! We tried to set you guys up. Happy? You got your confession'

'We?'

 _Buzz_ 'Riiiiiiight. Kai, Cole, Zane, Nya, and Skylor were involved. Just for some fun you know?'

'WHY! WHY ME! GO PICK ON SOMEONE ELSE!'

 _Buzz_ 'Actually, we did pick on someone else. She goes by the name Claire'

'I hate you SO MUCH'

 _Buzz_ 'Stop with the chit-chat, just give me the details. What'd you talk about? Oh, by the way you're acting, it's something juicy! Spill it Lloyd or I tell Kai you videotaped him singing in the shower'

'Seriously, dude? He'd kill me. Like, actual murder. There's no way you'd do that.'

 _Buzz_ 'Try me. Come on, just tell me what happened. PLEEEEEAAAASEEEEE!'

'I asked her what she was doing, and she explained'

 _In a very inspiring manner_ , the blonde thought to himself.

 _Buzz 'Are_ you serious? That's all? Sometimes I think you wouldn't know romance even if it punched you square in the face'

'Romance? You think I like her?'

 _Buzz_ 'I've had enough crushes in life to recognize when a guy likes a girl. And dude, let me tell you... you've got something for this chick'

'I'm fully convinced that you've lost your mind'

 _Buzz_ 'Or maybe you've lost your mind. Staying up late thinking about Claire, I presume?'

'Please stop this madness. It hurts my head'

 _Buzz_ 'Don't worry Lloyd. The madness of love can do that to you. The cure is admitting your feelings to one of your closest friends. Specifically, one that wears blue a lot'

'Hardy har har. Get a life Jay. Could you grow up a little?'

 _Buzz_ 'Nah. I'm the epitome of immature'

'Don't you have a girlfriend to get back to?'

 _Buzz_ 'Nya's getting ready to help host cheerleading tryouts. I'm waiting for football to start'

'I could keep you company. I mean, that was what I was going to do when I got to the park. I got a little sidetracked though'

 _Buzz_ 'Ah the wonders of love'

'Byyyyyye. I'm on my way over.'

 _Buzz_ 'Just don't let your love sickness sidetrack you!'

Lloyd huffed when he turned off his phone, about ready to throw it at a brick wall. He never wanted to have a conversation like that again.

Sure, the topic of dating had been thrown around for a long while. Especially when he first met his friends, and they had yet to find girls of their own. But, this was the first time Lloyd actually thought about the possibility of getting a girlfriend for himself.

The concept still disturbed him, however, something about it seemed okay now.

"I'm going to murder those guys." He grumbled as he was met with the enormous sight of the academy.

After several long years attending the school, Lloyd had learned a great deal about it. He remembered how scared he was on day one. How small he was compared to those massive doors. It was a miracle to him that he was able to navigate the halls pretty well by the end of the first week. It was also a miracle how he found people he clicked with. At first he was all alone, the new transfer kid... but the opportunity for a better life at this school had presented itself.

Something about what Claire said made him think... hard. How there really is no connection. How you think there's something your friendship is holding on to. In some ways, she was right. He didn't really know his friends. Their thoughts and actions were unpredictable. But, he thought he knew them well enough to build a friendship with them.

Her mind was another kind of logic in its own way.

And he wanted to know more of it. Just those few lines made him feel like the world was an entirely different place. He wanted more of this kind of _logic_. He wanted more of _her_.

As Lloyd walked onto the field, a silent vow was made. That he'd _never_ tell anyone about the dangerous thoughts floating around in his head. They'd ruin him.

Right away, Lloyd spotted Jay. His blue clad friend was kind of hard to miss, what with his hands waving in the air, and his obnoxious shout echoing throughout the field.

"LLLLLLLOOOOOOYYYYYYYDDDDD! IIIII'MMMM OOOOOVVVVEEERR HEEEEEEREEE!"

Several giggles sounded from where Lloyd was walking by, and the teen was greeted with the presence of several cheerleaders, or _to be_ cheerleaders.

" _Hi Lloyd_." They sighed simultaneously, turning to each other with more giggles to share.

The blonde flashed them all a wave before walking off, quicker than before, to meet his friend.

" _Jaaay_." He hissed, trying to hide his embarrassment. Sure, he didn't want a girlfriend. But that didn't mean he wanted to be humiliated.

"Phew. You saw me. I was sure I wasn't loud enough."

Lloyd sighed, giving up. Jay was nearly impossible when it came to situations like this. Being loud was in his nature.

"Hope you're ready to watch some tryouts. Nya says it should be an interesting bunch this year." The figure in blue announced as Lloyd finally sat down.

Of course, he wasn't all that excited. With him there, most of the girls would most likely be trying to show off. Lloyd couldn't say he liked all the attention... but it was no mystery that Lloyd hadn't gotten a girlfriend. He was just going to have to get used to all these girls' attention.

"Interesting for sure." The teen agreed, crossing his arms and sitting back. Jay did the same.

For a while they both sat there, watching more and more girls show up, none of which were being discreet about their giddiness that two of the best football players showed up. Lloyd resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Couldn't there be one girl who liked him for _him_ and not for his status?

Lloyd was imagining the possibility when something suddenly caught his eye. While most of the girls were admiring his presence, a girl stood in the middle of the crowd, fidgeting with her hands, and scanning the mass of people.

He couldn't miss that ginger hair anywhere.

Jay seemed to notice as well. Or at least he noticed that Lloyd's back was straighter than before.

"Someone caught your attention, I see?" Jay joked, nudging Lloyd.

Lloyd was flushed in no time at all. Still, he didn't say anything. His eyes were locked on the girl that stood out in the crowd.

"Aaaaand, here comes trouble."

Sure enough, as Lloyd tore his eyes away from the ginger he was able to see Gwendolyn Dawson walking towards the two in a _very_ ostentatious manner.

"Come to watch me win, huh?" She bragged, leaning over the rails.

"Actually, we're waiting for practice to start." Jay corrected her, not as enthusiastic as he usually was.

Gwen, though, paid no attention to Jay. Her attention was on the best player of the team. The single one.

"It's tryouts, Gwendolyn. No one wins or loses."

The girl threw her intricately curled blonde hair over her shoulder. "First, it's _Gwen_. Second, it _is_ competition. Cuts are going to be made."

Lloyd had known Gwen for a long time now, and in that time, he had learned to calculate his every move before he made it. He knew her game. He knew she considered him the prize.

"That's beyond your control." He grumbled, looking out at the crowd again. After a moment of searching, his eyes found that ginger hair. She was no longer clustered in the group of girls. Instead, she stood away from everyone else... looking at him. He froze.

"I don't like her."

Gwen's comment resulted in Lloyd becoming alert again. "W-Who?"

The boy mentally slapped himself as Gwen raised an eyebrow. He had to watch _every_ move he made from now on. No distractions.

"I haven't bothered to learn her name." The blonde girl replied plainly, studying her nails. "She's pretty enough, I guess. Not as pretty as me, but somewhere in between average and, well, me."

Lloyd scoffed, as she talked, already comparing the two. Gwen was in fact _very_ pretty. But, to him... Claire was beautiful. Gorgeous, even. From day one, he noticed that.

"I think she looks breathtaking." Lloyd said, with a smirk. Praising other people's attributes really got on Gwen's nerves. Fortunately for him, the comment seemed to do just that.

However, a choke from right next to him made the teen's green eyes go wide. He _completely_ forgot that Jay was there. And he just called Claire pretty.

Gwen opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped short by the whistle.

"Wish me luck boys!" she called instead, with one of her signature _sweet_ smiles, walking off to join the large group of girls.

Once she was out of sight, Lloyd buried his head in his hands, concealing his humiliation. Jay would most certainly tell everyone else what he said. He'd never hear the end of it. However, on a lighter note, at least Gwen will stop trying to pursue him. Or, he only _hoped_ she'd stop trying to pursue him.

"I hate girls..."

Jay merely stared at his hunched over friend.

"That one, at least, deserves your hate."

There were only a handful of people the group of friends avoided... and Gwendolyn was one of them. She was one of those girls that Lloyd couldn't stand. She seemed sweet and sugary, yet when you got on her bad side, she became a devil. It was common knowledge to everyone that Gwen was in fact interested in Lloyd... all the more reason to keep her from him.

"I guess." The blonde replied, coming to his senses and looking out at the field yet again. "Please don't tell the others what I said about Claire, Jay."

Even when he wasn't looking directly at him, Lloyd could tell Jay was already dying to text someone about it.

"What if I only tell _one_ person then?"

"No. And for your information, I _don't_ have any kind of feelings for her. I just said she's pretty to get on Gwen's nerve... that's all."

Jay smirked, a gesture the younger boy had learned to hate. It usually meant that his blue clad friend was up to something.

"C'mon Lloyd. Maybe dating would be a good thing. This _is_ our last year here..."

This was exactly the conversation that Lloyd feared. Jay had been pressuring him for _months_ to try and experience new things this year. And the most recent option thrown around was going to the school's Fall Formal. However, Lloyd hadn't budged... yet. He'd seen enough of the dances to know that they were, in fact, chaotic. Music blaring, laughter at every corner, the many, many people. Not to mention the fact that men wore suits. It wasn't something he wanted to experience in full depth. Not for the life of him.

"For the last time Jay. I'm not going to the Formal. And I'm especially not going with a girl. Besides, Zane could use the company. We actually had a lot of fun last year."

Jay was just about done with this discussion. Lloyd could tell. Sometimes, he knew better than to argue with Jay. It was a death wish when the guy had his heart set on something. And Jay _really_ had his heart set on this. "News flash, dude. Zane's going to the dance. Unless you want to be all alone in two weeks, I say step up your game. There's _plenty_ of girls at the academy. And some of them, unlike Gwen, are pretty decent. Well, pretty _and_ decent."

Lloyd, no longer up to arguing about this, turned his attention back to the tryouts. So far, from what he could see... things were going slowly.

But, he didn't want to seem rude. Instead of finding something else to do, the boy sat back on the cold, metallic bench and observed a good amount of tryouts. He noticed that some seemed nervous, and must have held back some of their abilities. Then there were girls like Gwen, who were a little too show-offy. However, so far, the tryouts were pretty... average. Not the kind of interesting that Nya said there'd be.

His disappointment soon disappeared when he spotted a ginger haired girl walking up to Nya. Claire, like everyone else, was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, even though it was mid-October. Yet, something about her made her stand out. In a _really_ good way.

"Here comes the interesting." Jay whispered, straightening up to see her better. Looks like he wasn't the only one who was surprised that Claire showed up. In fact, pretty much the whole field went silent as Claire walked up. Lloyd couldn't see her very well... but he knew what nervous looked like. For once, she looked pretty nervous.

However, within a few short minutes, he couldn't understand _why_ she was nervous. Claire was amazing.

He watched as she copied Nya's routine, which was simple enough for people new to the subject. But, Claire mastered it with ease. And, even though he was on the other side of the field, he could tell that she was probably more talented than Nya. Her movement... he didn't even know how to describe it.

"I think I know who one cheerleader will be..." Jay whispered, nudging Lloyd in the arm, as Claire walked off. He could have said something in return, but the boy couldn't tear his eyes away from Claire. Correction... he chose not to. For five days, he regarded her as someone he didn't want to associate with. Had he misjudged her? Had he been wrong about her character? Today Lloyd had seen a piece of the girl that he didn't know he'd ever get to see. A piece he hadn't wanted to see.

All he knew was that he wanted more time to continue that conversation from earlier. Maybe, just maybe, he could figure her out.

And maybe, just maybe, he could figure out why his stomach was doing backflips when she started walking over.

 **.: Claire :.**

Claire never felt more scared in her life. Compared to her first day... it was awful. Throughout her turn, she could feel everyone's attention turning to her. They watched her, and her only. And Claire knew why.

Being the new girl was a nightmare. No one knew anything about her... so judgement was a second resort. But, it wasn't like she wanted everyone to know every single aspect of her personality. That was hers to give away. In bits and pieces. That's how she always did it. However, in those five minutes, everyone _saw_ her. And they were either jealous or amazed.

The teen knew she did well.

So, as soon as she was done, she put as much distance as she could between herself and every other human lifeform. Why?

That was the most exposed she's ever felt, and she didn't like it one bit. Right now, all she wanted was some space.

However, in her anxious state, something caught her chocolate brown eyes. In the bleachers that she was eyeing earlier on, the young girl found Lloyd with his friend, Jay Walker. It was a little known fact that Claire had a strained relationship with the whole group... her most recent conversation with Lloyd was odd enough. But, what could have made her stop dead in her tracks was Jay's bright smile shot her way.

 _I must be dreaming,_ she thought, pushing the gesture to the back of her head.

But, all too soon, her curiosity got a hold of her and she started walking over... wanting to see just _what_ was going on. There was no way that these guys were trying to be nice to her. Especially Lloyd.

"Um... hey?"

She silently cringed a little. Nice way to make an introduction. Jay however, regarded that, it seemed.

"You were _so good_. I mean, everyone else was _so boring_... I guess Nya was right when she said tryouts would be different this time."

Jay's comment was enough to bring a little color back to her face as she comfortably sat down next to them. She thought that they'd come back to their sense and yell at her to go away... but that didn't seem like Jay's intent.

Lloyd however, was not as bubbly as Jay. His eyes were fixed on the field, his face flushed. And, of course, his gaze was on Gwen Dawson. A girl the ginger had grown to dislike.

Claire felt her shoulders sag as she realized what was going on there. Although, she didn't know why. Lloyd and her... the only interactions that they both shared were not pleasant. Except for the one in the park.

 _Maybe he wasn't trying to tell me something_. She thought, feeling that hopeful emotion disappear.

"It wasn't my idea." She replied, simply, getting over the realization of Lloyd's relationship with Gwen. "Nya had asked me last night when I was going to bed... And, I'm being true to my word."

After her comment, there was an awkward silence in between the three, causing Jay to desperately look at Lloyd and Claire. Claire however, didn't know what Jay wanted her to say. And Lloyd looked the same. It was obvious that no one else was planning on saying anything.

"I uh... think I'll go get a drink or something. You guys, stay here, I guess."

With that, Jay rushed off, without a single glance in their direction.

"I take it that his disappearance has something to do with me?" The girl ventured, raising a quizical eyebrow.

Lloyd shifted. "Why would you think that?"

Her response was a simple shrug. "I think Jay's been here long enough to know where the vending machine is..." She gestured towards the direction Lloyd's friend hadn't gone. The boy next to her didn't say anything, proving her point. "Why were you at the park?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

The ginger haired girl grinned. "Why _wouldn't_ I wanna know? You don't strike me as a walk in the park kind of guy."

"Yeah well," Lloyd was at a loss for words... she could tell. And he was getting pretty irritated at this point. "Maybe you should think again. What if I want to get away from things for a while? Or are you such a perfectionist that you can't relate."

Claire couldn't decide what she should do with those words. Here she thought he was trying to be sincere towards her for once... yet he was being just as snarky as always.

"Perfectionist? Is that what you think _I_ am? Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"I am _not_ a perfectionist. It's people like you who think they're so wonderful and amazing. They go around thinking that the world owes them for- oh..."

Lloyd stopped midsentence as he realized the insult he was carrying out. He turned to the girl next to him and upon seeing her face, wanted to take it back.

After five days of being around comments like this, Claire felt ready to finally snap. It was enough to ignore her or hate her for no reason... but saying this _to her face_ was too much.

She felt her face became heated with fury as she clenched her fists, wanting so badly for them to make impact. It seemed as if that was enough for Lloyd to pale and back away, making her satisfied yet even more angry.

Even so, there was no mistaking the tears on the brim of her eyes.

 _Goodness no. I am not going to cry here._

Having enough of this, Claire walked away as fast as she could, before she dared to cry in front of him.

"Wait, Claire..." She could hear him protest. It only made her walk faster. "Come on... I didn't mean it like that..." He continued, trying to match her pace. However, the blonde was having a difficult time.

"Before you think that you have the right to say what you want," Claire started, coming to a stop and pointing a finger at him. She tried so hard to keep her emotions under control, but there was an obvious hint of distress in her quavering voice, "how about you try and put yourself into my shoes. You haven't been where I have... Y-You just don't understand any of it! Why- _Why_ do you treat me like this?!"

The boy in front of her froze completely, looking down slightly. It was clear he didn't have an answer...

"I don't know _what_ I did to you, but if it is _bothering_ you so much then I'm _sorry_. I just wish you people could have told me..." Her shoulders sagged a bit as she turned around. She had made a decision in that moment... she'd talk to Wu. Tell him that she appreciated the offer for enrollment. But, that she couldn't go for a full year. She'd be leaving at the first opportunity.

"I did tell you..." Lloyd answered, his voice trailing away as Claire didn't even bother to look back. Her mind was in spirals at the current moment. She didn't have time to think about him...

However, she couldn't comprehend the fact that his words stuck with her, _long_ after she was done pushing the green-eyed boy from her mind. It was just something about what he said... like she could relate.

She never thought in a million years that she and Lloyd would have an actual conversation. Or that _Jay_ of all people would smile towards her... but the fact that she could possibly relate to Lloyd made her heart plummet.

 _What would he have that I can relate to?_ She thought as she finally plopped down on her bunk. The girl had barely been gone for two hours, yet the small amount of time out in the cool breeze of autumn felt like an eternity. And it made her heart race...

The ginger held a hand to it, pondering whether or not she'd be able to hear her heart explode at any given moment. It sure felt like it.

 _Buzz_

Claire felt ready to chuck her phone at the wall, watching it shatter into pieces.

 _Buzz_

What a wonderful thought...

"Hey this is Claire Wilson from that random coffee shop down the street. Your latte is ready..." The teen lazily said as she answered the phone.

"One, _I don't like lattes_. Two... WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU COULD DO THAT!"

Claire was grateful that she decided to put this on speaker instead of next to her ear.

"I didn't know it was my job to tell you something you didn't ask me to tell you."

"I don't know why you're so _moody_ lately. Seriously... you don't go outside. You don't associate with people. And when someone gives you a compliment, you shrug it off. Do you not realize how amazing you were?!"

Amazing was one way to describe it. But, to Claire, the experience was downright terrifying. "Nya, I can tell you that I realize how many eyes were on _me_. I don't care _what_ you say... I don't do people. Besides you, Sky and Pix are the only lifeforms I can tolerate."

Nya sighed into the phone. " _Tolerate_... Claire do you know the reason why nobody really likes you? It's because you go and say this before getting to know them."

"Well, maybe people should get to know me before they decide that I'm not a likeable person. Because I _am_ a likeable person... at heart, you know."

Her friend chuckled. "You're something alright. A _real_ acquired taste."

"EXACTLY! And if people don't like me... then they just need to acquire some taste."

"Your _humor_ is _annoying_! Just stop, Claire!"

"Are you _agitated_ and _confused_? My work here is done!"

Nya expressed a tender laugh. "Tryouts are over and Jay has football... We could hang at Chen's noodle house with Sky. After that, though, we had plans for a kind of date night at the movie theater. Kai, Pix, Zane, Sky, Jay and I are all going... Would you maybe like to tag along?"

"And what? Be the seventh wheeler? Not happening. I'll hang here with good old Shakshere writing. Romeo, Juliet and I all had plans too, ya know."

"Technically, if you hung with them, you'd be the third wheeler." The raven haired girl on the other side of the phone said flatly, not amused.

"Oh pft! It's fiction! And romance! That's all _I_ need to be satisfied!"

"Just think about it, kay? Kai and Jay said they invited someone else to join along..."

"No."

Claire knew where this was going.

"You wouldn't exactly be alone..."

"No."

"Besides, they _wanted_ you to come along. Something about being eager to get to know you."

"No. No. No. You already dragged me to your stupid tryouts. I've had enough social time today."

"Come _on_... you can't say no to an opportunity like this. Imagine having more people that you can tolerate."

"I literally just said no. And, it's going to stay that way. My 'no' doesn't like being a yes."

"So... you're just gonna stay at the dorm. _All night_...?"

"No- I mean YES! Ugh! You're a villain! Tearing through the soul in which thy heart lives... but no! It will be swallowed whole, like a shadow stalking its prey. Tis all in vain! Thy name is Nya!"

"You read way too much Shakespeare."

"If I had a _life_... it would be Shakespeare."

"Yeah, whatever. You said 'no' first... meaning..."

"I now officially hate Friday nights?"

"You're coming."

"Nya! Think about this! This will ruin me! Ruin!"

"I'll meet you at the Noodle House. And then you're coming. Just to see what it's like. I promise that you won't be the eighth wheeler."

"Villain!"

 _Beep. Beep. Beep_.

She hung up.

And just like before, Claire was dreading this.

She thought about what she was planning on doing the next time she saw Wu... but... the thought of having friends... of being part of Nya's group of friends... Well, it made her heart swell. She never had friends before. The thought of possibly being surrounded by them...

She had to try.

And try she would. Claire made a silent vow right then that she'd step out of her comfort zone and see what it'd be like.

"You can't go wrong with making new friends, right?"

 **Hello, hello, hello everyone! Have I got a chapter for you! I know that there's a lot going on here, but my mind just wants to write a whole plot here. So much for about seven chapters... with the rate that this is going at, it'll probably be longer. We'll see... Honestly, the length of this depends on how much support that this gets. If you guys don't like it, by all means, tell me. That way I can get some more work done on my other fics. And, speaking of other fics, I'm so proud! You guys loved For the First Time! The amount of VIEWS it got! Phew... I guess that's a sign that you want more one-shots. Just so you know, those and this will be posted at random. I'm working on DH right now, but my head needed a break, so I typed this up. One-shots will be the same. I'll make them whenever I can't think of anything for my original stories. Besides that little detail, I've covered just about everything- WAIT NO! Hold up... we got a delivery for some people named** **Catie Kuda** **,** **EnergyBlast Diamond** **,** **llyodenia** **, ninjagogirl luvs iceage21, and puppylover2448 for favoriting/following! The letter says 'Ya'll are now officially apart of the support squad... be proud'. And, to our amazing review squad... Catie Kuda, BedazzleDewdrops, llyodenia, BatDad, and EnergyBlast Diamond... you guys crack me up.**

 **Catie Kuda: Somehow, I can actually picture that in my head XD And, to your other comment, I have to warn you that there will be A LOT of lines from DH. CRINGE ALERT!**

 **BedazzleDewdrops: More to come indeed. Welcome to the support squad :D It's good to have you in yet another fic.**

 **llyodenia: I DON'T LIKE TEARS! (ironically)… so stop making me wanna cry! Honestly, you're just too sweet. Thank you, though! Unlike some people *cough*Claire *cough* *… I take compliments very graciously. Or at least that's what I think. If you asked my mom, she'd probably say otherwise. Heh heh...**

 **EnergyBlast Diamond: Just go with it, man. You read the fics when you read the fics, so that's good enough for me. And, hello! I'm geeking out over yours! No joke...And, I actually wrote a one-shot! Not as good as what you can come up with, but so far, I've been able to restrain myself from adding another chapter. Baby steps, am I right?**

 **Yeah that's all for now. My brain just took a vacation this week. I've been like a zombie. Hopefully more support can change that though...**

 **~Rain**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **.: Lloyd :.**

When Lloyd first arrived at his uncle's academy, he had to admit, he wasn't the nicest kid at all. In fact, he was extremely rude, ungrateful, and most definitely intolerant. Looking back, he was embarrassed. The teen supposed he changed his attitude around the time that he met his friends. That's when things went uphill. Ever since then, Lloyd had done his best to proceed through school without offending anyone. At least, not on an over-the-top kind of way. There were those few people that needed some unkind words thrown their way. Other than the occasional comeback, Lloyd had done an amazing job with his goal. Until now.

He felt awful.

Lloyd found himself in panic mode when Claire walked away, simply because he felt that he took it too far. Which he did. She didn't deserve those words. He knew that... it was just something about her taking an interest in his motives that got on his nerves. But, Claire couldn't have known that. She was just curious. It was _him_ who snapped.

And, of course, that meant _he_ was the one that had to apologize.

The blonde boy found himself unable to breathe as he looked at the number on his phone. Going through with this would in fact be painful, not just for his emotions, but most likely his ego as well. Plus the fact that he could possibly offend her even more. But Lloyd found himself most concerned with the last one; the fact that if anyone found out he actually called the ginger haired girl, he would never hear the end of it.

In the end, he knew he'd have to suck it up. He deserved whatever came after this.

As the phone rang, Lloyd became more and more anxious, wanting nothing more than for it to just go to voicemail. He could deal with leaving a message. But if she answered... that'd be a whole other story.

"H-Hello?"

The boy opened his mouth to reply, but no answer came out. He was just too petrified.

"Hello?" She tried again.

 _Now or never_.

"Wait! Don't hang up!" He hollered, louder than he wanted to. But, he was too embarrassed to be subtle about this apology. The heat in his face prevented him from doing so.

"Lloyd? How did you get my number?"

Claire sounded more towards the edge of 'mildly terrified'.

"I, um, asked Pixal."

"Okay, uh, I'm a little concerned right now... so, I'm just gonna-"

"No! I didn't mean to freak you out or anything I just... I felt really bad... about what I said."

Lloyd felt his pride crumbling into a thousand pieces as he said what he needed to say. But he wasn't done yet.

"I am extremely sorry about the way that I reacted, Claire." He sighed, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. The worst thing that she could do was just hang up right then... but she hadn't. That was something. "You said you didn't see me as a walk in the park kind of guy. And, well, I overreacted, of course, but... I'm just sick and tired of people who judge me without getting to know me. They think I'm so _perfect_ and _good_. And I feel pressured to be just that... so... yeah..."

The girl didn't say anything for a long while, causing Lloyd to think the worst. But, as soon as she spoke, he felt calm again.

"I didn't know you felt that way, Lloyd. But, did it ever occur to you that I deal with the same thing?"

"N-No..."

Claire sighed, falling silent yet again, before taking a deep breath. "My first day here and it felt like the world was against me. No one talked to me... just assumed that I was a terrible person. At least people think fondly of you. You should be thankful that you're not shunned to the point where you feel like you're actually horrible."

Lloyd now felt like he owed her ten thousand more apologies. He hadn't realized how cruel he was...

"I am thankful. Really. I'm thankful that I was able to find a group that I fit in with so well... it's just... it all feels fake. People will smile at me and act friendly towards me, but I always get a feeling that if I wasn't so good at what I do for the team, people wouldn't adore my existence. Just my true friends."

"I feel the same way. I mean, in a slightly different way... but I agree with you on the fake part. I don't know why, but everything feels like plastic. Not real. No one is truly acting like themselves, instead they act the way society expects them to. It's hard to tell what's just plain 'real' anymore."

By the time that she was done speaking, the boy realized that he had completely misjudged her. Of course, she was different... but this type of difference made him feel secure. The fact that someone else in such a different atmosphere was able to relate...

He somehow found himself wanting this 'apology' phone call to be longer.

"I-I agree." He stuttered, finding himself at a loss for words.

"Well... I'm glad that we're on the same page now..." She paused before continuing. "And, I guess I have to say thank you. For telling me that. I feel like I just got to know you a bit better."

"T-That wasn't my intention..."

"I know. But, everybody has a story. Sometimes it can be presented in ways that we don't want it to. I'm happy that a part of yours was given to me... Maybe in the future, I can get more?"

Lloyd's heart was racing as she finished speaking. His story? She wanted it?

This is not what he wanted to do. All he wanted to do was call to say sorry. Now, depending on his answer, something else entirely could happen. He should say no. He was Lloyd Garmadon. Football champion. He had his group of friends. He wasn't supposed to be talking to her.

But, a tiny part of him wanted so badly to say yes. She was actually the very first person that he had told about his internal struggle. It felt good to get it out. And, whether he liked it or not, she now shared that part of himself with him. Which, now that he thought about it, that wasn't such a bad thing.

Darn it. He couldn't say no.

"I-I think I'd like that. Yeah..."

Even from the other side of the phone, Lloyd could tell that the ginger was smiling.

"I'll see you around, Garmadon."

"Wait! One more thing... Please don't tell anyone about this. Or what I said. I can't exactly tell you why... but, can I trust you to do that?"

"I'm never one to break a promise. I'll respect your request."

"Thanks." He breathed. "I'll see you around too... Wilson."

All too soon, Lloyd heard the familiar beep of his phone, indicating that the call had been ended, and he instantly fell back into reality. Although, the blonde desperately wanted to go back. He wanted to keep talking to her. But practice was about to start, and he didn't have time to be someone else other than the Lloyd Garmadon that he was expected to be.

He knew one thing for sure, though... Claire was the only person who made him feel different. And he liked it.

With poor reluctance, the teen added her number to his contact list, hoping beyond hope that Kai didn't go snooping around in his phone again- you never knew with that guy- and headed out to start practice, wearing his best fake smile.

* * *

 **.:Claire:.**

Going outside two times in a single day was too much to handle. No matter how hard she told herself that this tiny get together with Nya would make her life infinitely better. There was always that part of her that panicked. That wanted to go back. But, she eventually managed to get to the noodle house. And, upon seeing her friends' smiles, she instantly forgot about the world around her.

The moment that things had really changed, however, was when her phone started ringing.

The girl hadn't wanted to seem rude, so she kindly excused herself from the booth they all had claimed, making her way outside into the cool air of autumn.

She nearly dropped the phone when she heard his voice.

It had started out weird, but, Claire didn't mind that towards the end. It was a sweet gesture... no doubt painful for him. So, she had dealt with her want to hang up and listened to what he had to say... and she discovered something. Something that she found purely beautiful.

Though she was quite embarrassed for doing so, Claire didn't regret her request at all. She asked for more. And he said yes.

From then on out, the blonde-haired boy was the only thing the girl could think about throughout the evening. This resulted in her need to look at her phone every minute. Anything- a message, a missed call- something to tell her that he thought about her too. Which didn't happen.

Although, Claire couldn't be too disappointed. He was probably _very_ busy.

"So," Nya asked after everyone arrived at the dorms. The evening was, quite exhausting. For everyone, really. "What'd you think?"

"Jack was... nice." The ginger replied, checking her phone yet again. Nothing.

" _Nice_?" The redhead next to her asked in disbelief. "That's all? He looked like a pretty decent guy. And it didn't look like you were making _any_ attempt at a conversation."

"Well-" Claire didn't feel the need to talk about the events that just took place. While she was grateful that her friends were making an effort to keep her happy, all the girl wanted to do was be alone. That's all she ever wanted to do. "I tried... trust me Sky. It's just... I don't exactly have the best conversational skills when it comes to people I've just met."

And, truth be told, her mind was _elsewhere_.

"At least the movie was good," Nya claims, moving on from the subject. The girl was probably pretty disappointed that it didn't work out. Claire supposed she'd have to bring up the evenings event later on...

 _She's Nya. She'll understand_.

"Claire? You okay?" Skylor had asked as her friend's silence dawned on her.

 _No. I can't figure out why I'm making such a big deal out of the fact that Lloyd Garmadon called me._

"I guess I'm about ready to call it a night... Today's been a little too eventful."

Nya and Skylor exchanged glances, knowing all too well that something was up. Yet, they knew when Claire wouldn't talk. So, they wanted her to have her space.

"We'll leave you to it then."

With that, she watched as her friends disappeared behind the door, whispering as they went. As soon as they were out of sight, the young girl had to admit, the silence was a relaxing relief. She loved Sky and Nya like sisters, but, sometimes, all she needed was to be alone.

Claire, feeling calmer than she'd been all evening, let out a long sigh, spreading out across her bed, finally able to fall asleep.

 **.::.**

Apparently her _weekend off_ was merely an excuse for Nya to show Claire the full 'city experience'. Needless to say, the ginger had had quite enough of 'experience' for the week. So, even though she'd promised Nya she'd eat lunch with the group, Claire went to the library... the usual.

It wasn't necessarily because the girl was mad at her friend, but the library was her place to escape. No one was there except for her, the nice librarian, and of course, her beloved books.

Claire found the school library a fascinating place, like those from fairytales. Around every corner was something of value. Knowledge. Imagination. Creativity. Adventure.

Yes. She would call this place home _anyday_.

The teen took to her usual spot; a table secluded behind a towering shelf of books at which the massive window could be seen. Possibly the most beautiful spot in the entire building, in her opinion.

As soon as she knew she was alone, a small laugh escaped her lips, giving her the motivation to just be herself here. And being herself included Shakespeare. In no time at all, Claire was occupying three chairs to lay on as her eyes scanned over the pages of words, this time not upside down. There was something about the words... that even though they were in fact understandable, together, no one was able to make any sense of them. These words were different.

Her sense of peace was ruined, however, when she noticed that she wasn't completely alone anymore. From the bookshelf in front of her, a silhouette could be seen. A boy... from the looks of it.

Claire buried her face in her book as the boy rounded the corner and made his way towards another bookshelf, this time in line of her view. From what she could see, he wore black square framed glasses, had side-swept yet still messy blonde hair, and a number of textbooks piled into his arms... But, when he turned _that's_ when she felt like hiding.

It was Lloyd.

And he hadn't seemed to notice her yet.

 _Good_. The girl thought, pulling in her outstretched legs and sitting in a normal 'school appropriate' position. Perhaps if her happened to see her, he'd think she was studying.

She _tried_ to act like he wasn't there, because, really, his presence didn't matter, but it proved to be an impossible task. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on the poetic words in front of her. The ginger could only think about him in that moment.

 _I need to get out of here_.

That was just what she was about to do. However, when she peeked over her book again, he wasn't there anymore.

 _Weird_.

Claire nearly jumped when her phone buzzed.

'How can you read that stuff?'

Sure enough, when Claire looked over her shoulder, he was there, sitting at a nearby table and doing what appeared to be... drawing...

'Shakespeare?' The girl typed after a moment of confusion.

For a moment, she was disappointed when Lloyd didn't look at his phone.

 _He must not have been the one to text me..._

However, after a few minutes of continuing with what he was doing, Lloyd looked up from his work to type something into his phone. Claire grinned.

 _Buzz_ 'It's hard to understand. And you're reading it for fun. Please explain.'

'It's not about understanding it. And yes. I do like to read it for fun. Is it wrong to want to sit back and enjoy the feel of words for the time being?'

 _Buzz_ 'How can you feel words? You're supposed to hear them. Or, read them, I guess.'

'Well, what are you doing then? Some kind of art project?'

 _Buzz_ 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Something personal, I take it?'

 _Buzz_ 'Maybe. Something I really haven't told anyone about.'

'Like the fact that you wear glasses?'

 _Buzz_ 'I'm supposed to be the popular football player. Not some nerdy kid who needs glasses. I only need them for focusing on really tiny words, really.'

Without even thinking, her fingers typed up a reply, but she freaked when she saw what the outcome was 'They make you look cuter'. However, a blush, and the decision that sending that message would ruin her life, made her revise the text.

'I can tell you that you're definitely not reading. So, Garmadon, what ARE you doing?'

No reply. For a moment, Claire feared she had crossed a certain line. That she _wouldn't_ be getting a reply at all.

And she didn't. All too soon, the bell rang, separating the curious girl from the boy no longer wearing black glasses.

Shame, really. She had to admit, Lloyd really did look cuter when he wore them.

* * *

 **.**

 **:Lloyd:.**

He was so close. So close to telling her. Yet, he didn't. He couldn't.

Lloyd hadn't told anyone what it was that he did during any time that could be spared. It was _his_. Not anyone else's. And in that moment, he wasn't ready for it to become Claire's as well. Especially Claire.

Somehow, despite everything, he wished that he could tell her. Unlike everyone at this school, he had a feeling that she could understand the most. Maybe just maybe he'd have the courage to show the ginger.

 _I'll show her... eventually. You know how things work, especially with girls. Get to know her first._

 _Or don't_.

As Lloyd walked out of school for the day, he knew exactly where he wanted to go.

Though the school offered dorms for the students to reside in, Lloyd would still frequently visit his mother's apartment, which wasn't that far from the academy. She _was_ a teacher of course.

 _Sure_ , he'd still share a room with Kai every night, but the boy often hung out at his old room, which became his safe haven. With its papers scattered everywhere, too many pencils to count, nonfiction books that he had taken an interest in, it was safe to say that his safe haven was a kind of organized, comforting, chaos. Just like his life.

His relief as he entered the room could not be described through words.

The blond spared no time at all, walking over to the office chair, spinning it around a few times, and grabbing a perfectly sharpened pencil, ready to start working...

Only after a few moments of silence did he realize that his mom had already arrived... and she was talking to someone.

Not really up to debating whether or not he should stay and continue what he was already doing or whether he should find out who else was here, Lloyd got up and let his curiosity get the best of him. His mom rarely had people over. She was always too busy doing some work from her second job, which was at the museum.

 _Probably some co-worker or something_.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't have met in my school office, but, as you can see, I'm on a tight schedule."

"Oh that's fine... I'm happy to have helped you carry your work. We can talk here, though. I'm in no hurry to get anywhere."

Lloyd froze when he recognized who was talking. _Claire_ was here. In his home.

Oh, why did this girl set him on edge so much? It seemed to be Claire's specialty...

"Now, about your essay... I have to say, that I'm very intrigued. Have you ever thought to get a part-time job at the museum? They're likely to hire someone with your taste."

There was a sound of ruffling papers. Lloyd assumed his mom was looking for some kind of document.

"I, um, I've already got an interview scheduled... for a pretty cool café. But, I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Garmadon."

"Of course, of course. However, do understand, I assigned a _two-page_ report. You turned in _nine_. That's a teacher's dream student right there..."

Lloyd tried not to take any offense. His mom, of course, was very proud of his hard work, and his teachers were more than pleased. But never before had he heard his mom say that to _another_ student before.

"I just find it impossible to follow certain standards. If it's a topic I'm familiar with, I like to add a little more detail."

Misako laughed. "Seven extra pages is more than a 'little' bit of detail. I guess the point I'm trying to make is this..."

The blond peeked around the door in time to see Misako hand a paper to Claire. Her eyes went wide as she read what it said...

"Is this...?"

"Yes. I feel as though our level is not the same as yours. This opportunity is an online school for _very_ gifted students. I believe you would fit well into this group of students. If you happen to complete this course, and I really advise you to think about it, you will be able to get into _any_ college of your choice. Are you familiar with Borg Tech?"

"Of course. I've actually thought about what it'd be like to go there. Your future is pretty much guaranteed if you're accepted..." Claire had admiration spilling throughout her tone as she continued to look over the flyer.

"Well, if you're so interested, the completion of these courses will be your ticket to success. Any subject in particular that you're interested in studying?"

"English Literature, maybe? Something involving the literary arts..."

Lloyd's mother smiled. "Then I highly recommend taking this into consideration. The only downside is it's either this or Wu's offer. If you choose to go through with the online courses, they'd still fit your level, but you'd no longer be able to attend NCA."

There was a moment of silence between both of them, and Lloyd considered himself somewhat rude for wanting to hear her reply... but for some reason he needed to hear her answer.

"I was thinking of transferring..." She had started, causing Lloyd to take a deep breath. "Yet, for reasons unknown... I think I want to stay at the Academy for a while longer. Perhaps mid-semester I can take this up. For now... I'm going to decline."

The teen still concealed by the wall found himself in awe. Here Claire was, with an opportunity most students would _dream_ of... and she declined. Imagine... Borg Tech. The most accomplished celebrity figures came from that school, all from different varieties of advanced courses. She was denying the easiest chance to a secure future.

How?!

"I understand... someone special you don't want to part with, perhaps?"

"More like... wanting to take a different look at things. I think NCA is still a great opportunity for me. I'd probably regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't at least try to get to know my peers more than I already do."

"You are one special girl, Claire Wilson... Well, before you head back to your dorm, perhaps you'd like to stay for a cup of tea? It's getting quite cold out lately. Consider it a 'thanks' for your time."

"That would be lovely, Mrs. Garmadon."

Lloyd waited until he could no longer hear the footsteps of his mother before deciding to come out. When he did, the girl's eyes widened in surprise. He knew she was going to say something, so he quickly held a finger to his mouth and gestured for her to follow him.

The teen only hoped he wouldn't regret what he was about to do...

It took a while, but Claire finally agreed to follow, gazing around with wonder displayed in those chocolate brown irises at his room as he went to shut the door.

"What is all of this?"

"This," He cleared a spot for both of them to sit down on the floor, "Is my work. It's what I like to do when no one's around..."

He watched as her fingers gently grazed the intricate lines spread across the different pieces of paper. And, what made his heart skip a beat was her smile when she realized what it was that he did.

"They're buildings..." She breathed, taking in another sheet of paper. And another. Finally, she laughed. "You like to _build things_."

"Well, technically, I haven't built anything... _yet_."

Claire, however, didn't seem to have listened. She looked lost in her own world.

"C-Could you... show me?"

Now _this_ was not something he expected to happen. It was one thing to call his designs amazing. To take the time to sit down and look at a few. But, now, she wanted him to show her. She wanted to _watch him_ do the thing he loved. The boy couldn't believe this. In the past, people teased him for his passion. It was one of the reasons why he never showed people anymore.

And she was proving to be the only one who really cared. About him. The _real_ him.

Lloyd rushed to his office chair once again, eager to start working, and grabbed a few of his utensils, scribbling down a rough sketch of what he wanted.

Claire watched over his shoulder, and, occasionally, some of her warm breath would graze his neck, though he tried not to pay any attention to that detail. The ginger was obviously intrigued, even though he wasn't looking directly at her. She just seemed to be radiating that kind of feel. And she stayed through it all, watching as every line became precise. Every angle, every detail, drawn to perfection. She watched as everything became connected. As everything started to make _sense_.

"There."

And, right as he turned to see her, he caught a glimpse of her smile. It was so genuine. So awestruck. She truly loved what he did. Lloyd found himself unable to look away.

However, all too soon, her smile faded away as she cleared her throat, no doubt realizing the situation that they were now both in.

"I-I don't know what to say. Has anyone seen this?"

Lloyd shrugged, running his fingers through his mass of hair. "Not in years. I kind of, well, keep it a secret."

"Not even your friends?"

"No... Besides my mom, you're the first one to see _this_." He gestured around the room with his hands.

Claire smiled that beautiful smile of hers again, causing him to blush.

"Your secret is safe with me," She paused, "Though, I have to say, this gives me an idea..."

 _An idea?_

"Care to share?"

Claire shook her head, shyly. "I-I really should be getting back by now. And, I'm not sure you'd be interested."

"Of course, I'm interested." The blonde blurted before he could stop himself. Immediately, he made a mental note that he'd have to watch his words with this girl, just like he did with Gwedolyn.

 _But why does she feel so much more different than Gwen?_

The girl in front of him, ducked her head, tightening her ginger ponytail. "Well, uh, how about... later then? I usually go for Starbucks every Wednesday. No Nya, I swear. But, you know... if ya... wanna swing by?"

It was in situations like this when Lloyd Garmadon's first instinct was to _run_. As _far_ away as he could get. Sure, the boy was unbearably aware whenever Gwendolyn or some other girl made an offer like this, so, It's not like he could say he'd _never_ experienced getting asked on a date. It was more of a matter that he either said 'heck no' or just didn't show.

And, for some reason, Lloyd found himself _really_ wanting to say 'heck yeah' and show up.

"You mean... like..."

Claire, to his relief, turned red almost immediately, gesturing with her hands that she _definitely_ didn't mean it like _that_. "I mean, I guess I can see why that was your first thought... but, the intention isn't what I'd necessarily call a date..."

He was starting to think that this girl only got more and more confusing. Most girls would be _jumping_ at the opportunity to spend time alone with him. Here was a pretty decent one right here who had _absolutely_ no interest in showing up to a _date_.

"So... how bout we call it a _not-date_ then. Pretty clear and solid message in that, right?"

 _Annnnd_ he was starting to think that smile would never get old.

"That... sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. See you around... _loser_."

Despite the insult, Lloyd found himself liking the nickname. Coming from her, at least. It felt... lighthearted. Not meant to hurt him.

"Yeah. And have fun hanging around with my mom... Your Majesty."

With their strange farewells, Claire shook her head with quite some amusement, and clicked his door shut, allowing him to stare at his wall, stunned.

Never had he _ever_ accepted an invitation like _that_. Sure, it wasn't actually a _date_ date. But, it'd be Lloyd's first time alone... with a girl... outside of school grounds.

One thing was for sure, though. Lloyd was _definitely_ not going to tell anyone about this. For the time being, he'd keep their interactions to himself. Because, really, there was no way he was sharing them. No way he was sharing _her_. Not at least until he could figure out why he said yes in the first place...

* * *

 **Yeah, yeah. Shame me. Ban me. Do WHATEVER. I know, guys. It's been, like, a whooping 2 months! Probably a record! Maybe. Anyways, like I said, I'm really updating this whenever I'm stumped on Destiny's Heart, and right now... I got nothing. Literally... It was practically hours and I had nothing! Not a single word! So, I typed this up real quick. Hope y'all are satisfied. Also, yes, since this does not take place in 'Ninjago', if you will, there are going to be pop-culture references. Just to make it more fun XD And, let me know if you catch some DH references. There's some more obvious and not obvious ones scattered around.**

 **Let's get down to business; Thanks for all of you who favorited/followed, including** **Bellacatz27** **,** **Purplecatlover93** **, and** **lilmisscherryontop** **! Your support is** _ **always**_ **greatly appreciated :D More shout outs to those wo reviewed;** **Bellacatz27** **,** **Llyodenia** **,** **BedazzleDewdrops** **,** **Energyblast Diamond** **, and** **puppylover2448** **!**

 **Bellacatz27** **: hehe, thanks! But, really, it's not an OC. Claire's an actual minifigure... I just decided to bring her in to Ninjago**

 **Llyodenia** **: Um... What do I say when given an award, exactly? Today is... a day?**

 **BedazzleDewdrops** **: That was the point, my friend XD**

 **EB** **: Yeah, you already know my response. I hope a simple thanks is enough to express how happy I am :D**

 **Puppylover2448** **: Awwww, thanks for your comment XD**

 **Until next chapter!**

 **~Rain**


	4. Chapter 4

**Eyyyyyyyy!**

 **There you go. I wrote a significant word...**

 ***sighs***

 **But... I guess y'all want a chapter. Good grief. Here's to all of those 'UPDATE!' people.**

Chapter 4

* * *

 **.: Claire :.**

Joy was a rare thing in the life of Claire Wilson. Sure, there were always those moments where she was absolutely happy and didn't want anything to change... but, to her, joy was an immense feeling where no matter what was happening, she was all smiles.

Homework in basically every class? Couldn't care less. Claire had more important matters on her mind.

Gwendolyn Dawson saying you look like a wreck? Ha! What did _that_ girl even know?

Having the school's disgusting hamburgers for lunch? Nah! Wasn't hungry anyways...

Making the school cheerleading team?

Oh.

That one was like getting punched in the gut. Not exactly the best feeling.

And, unfortunately things only seemed to go downhill from there. Gwen, and most of the other girls who showed up to tryouts did not seem pleased. Normally Claire could deal with being ignored, but the hatred reflecting off of basically every girl in school was nerve wrecking. On top of that, she couldn't seem to attract Lloyd's attention.

Walking into the last period of the Wednesday, the exact day she and Lloyd planned to meet, Claire had noticed a pattern. He wasn't at the library during lunch. No messages from him _at all_. And Gwendolyn seemed to be awfully close to him all day. Not to mention he looked slightly annoyed whenever she herself tried to acknowledge him.

So, after a long day, Claire figured she'd stop trying. After all, it was very possible that he didn't have any interest in her. Scratch that... he _certainly_ didn't have any interest in her.

Why did she think otherwise?

Why did she _care_?

Highschool was still a mystery.

Trying not to pay too much attention to Lloyd, the girl silently slipped into the chair by her desk, eager for class to start. Honestly, she didn't care about mathematics, science, or all the other required courses. Nothing beat creative writing. Some people just didn't _stop_ to admire the _potential_ this class had. Instead, everyone normally complained, saying that no one need this stuff anyways and putting in very little effort to pass. It's no wonder she had a hard time interacting with people.

However, no matter how hard she tried not to interact, other individuals clearly never got any hints.

"Hey, Claire..." A slightly familiar male voice greeted, taking a seat next to her at the back of the class. Claire recognized him as the guy from Friday night... Jack, Jay's roommate.

"Oh. Hey Jack... I didn't know you were in my class."

"Ah. Football this season messed up the schedule I planned out. I had to switch from my regular class to this one. Glad I can see some familiar faces, though."

She tried not to make things awkward, but the small smile that she faked didn't really do that.

"So... um... football? What's that like?"

"Are you kidding me? It's awesome! If I could ditch school just to play all day, trust me, I'd do it. I'm, like, pretty much the best player on the team." Jack bragged, causing Claire to raise an eyebrow. If there was anything that annoyed her the most, it was the many, many guys that tried, and failed, to impress her. Cockiness too. Got on her nerves like nothing else ever could. This guy, from what she'd already seen, had a lot of it.

Still. Claire decided to have a little fun with this.

"Really now? What about _Lloyd_? All the cheerleaders just _gush_ about him..."

Which was true. Pretty much the entirety of cheerleading tryouts had been girls gushing about football players. _He'd_ been one of them.

Jack looked irritated at the mention of him. "Yeah. He's _good_ I guess. Not too sure why everyone makes such a big deal out of him though. The people that have actually seen him in action should know he's a little show-offy."

 _Well, I've seen worse_.

Of course, she didn't say that out loud. There were limits to snarky comments. Currently, they were all reserved for Gwen and her posse. Gosh knows where she'd be without those comebacks.

"And, I've heard that you and him don't really get along too well..." The boy continued at her silence.

Claire tried not to flinch at that. Little did he know that just recently they became closer.

 _Did we though_?

After the day, she was starting to consider whether or not everything he showed her was just some part of her imagination. Surely if he'd shared something _that_ close to him, he'd want to be around her, right?

"Eh. He's not my _favorite_ person in this school."

"Exactly," Jack agreed, with a confident smile, no doubt pleased that he had found something in common with her. Something he could probably build some kind of relationship off of.

 _Oh... I hope this didn't give him any ideas_.

"So... I hear you're a cheerleader now..." He ventured.

Claire silently begged the universe to just _stop_.

"Um... More or less. Not sure how long I'll stay on the team. I mostly tried out cause Nya... _convinced_... me to."

Jack nodded, probably not listening to any of her concerns. "You must be pretty good. I mean, not everyone can get on Gwendolyn's bad side by just making it onto the team..."

 _Oh, you have NO idea._

"I'm... decent. I think Gwen just finds me annoying. No _talent_ or _skill_ right here... "

The brunette shrugged, pulling out his phone for a spit second. "You got any social media accounts?"

"Uhhhhhh. No? I'm pretty off the grid."

Jack grinned. "Nice. Guess that's something else that makes you pretty different... Luckily for you, I kind of like different."

 _Please no... Universe? Are you even up there? Are you_ listening _to my_ pleas _?_

And _this_ is why she avoided human interactions. Why did she say anything more than a hello?

"Well... I'm sure there are _plenty_ of _different_ girls around this school that might make a good companion."

Claire tried to make this rejection sound serious enough without offending him, yet he took her reply much, much differently. He laughed, drawing several looks from their nearby classmates. A pair of emerald green eyes among them.

She froze.

"You're a hard one to get, huh?"

 _Does not being interested count as being hard to get?_

The ginger, by now, had managed to turn her attention away from Lloyd, instead, focusing on the smooth surface of the desk. Class would be starting soon, and, hopefully she'd be able to avoid answering anymore questions.

"I-I mean... maybe? I've been isolated my whole life. Not much experience with guys, you know?"

"Oh. Well, I could help you out!" Jack said, in an enthusiastic manner. It was in this moment that Claire became fully aware of the intensity of Lloyd's stare. She desperately wanted him to know that this was _not_ what it looked like.

 _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

"No, you don't have-"

"No, no I mean it. Don't worry, I'll swing by your room sometime..."

"Actually, what I'm meaning to say is-"

The teen, unfortunately, didn't exactly get to finish her sentence. All too soon, and probably at the most inconvenient time _ever_ , the bell, indicating that class was starting, rang. As a result, students were in their seats within moments, ready to welcome the teacher, who was writing on the board.

 _Juuuust great. Thanks universe. I absolutely love you too. Don't know why I wouldn't..._

"Today... we are starting something new, _boys_ and _girls_." Mr. Rufus McAllister started, finishing up with whatever he was writing.

As he turned around and revealed what was on the board a series of groans sounded throughout the room.

Mr. McAllister smiled in response, pulling a chair over to the middle of the room for him to sit on backwards.

"That's right. We're moving on from grammar and are starting our first project. Your assignment, as seen on the board, will be to write a short story. And, let me make this clear... if I see even _one_ 'once upon a time' you will automatically _fail_. No... your job is to get on your _creative_ side. Use your _descriptions_. Write in as many _details_ as you can. A few metaphors couldn't hurt. The overall point... Make at least _one person_ interested in your work." To his pure astonishment, a student in the back of the classroom, whom was normally silent and reserved, raised a hand. "Well, color me intrigued." He mumbled... "Question, Claire?"

Now this was the one class where Claire felt like herself. That creative side Mr. McAllister had mentioned was pretty much her _only_ side. Being here felt like heaven.

As a result, she was much more confident, and definitely more excited than anyone in this classroom.

"We can write about... _anything_?"

The teacher smiled in response, knowing very well that this student would pass effortlessly. Honestly, it could be said that he enjoyed her as a student. Though she sat in the back every day, he could feel her passion for this subject from across the room.

"Yes, Ms. Wilson. _Any_ topic you want."

A few mumbles spread around the room as the teacher explained the details of this so called 'project', or _savior_ as Claire liked to put it. This assignment would be her getaway from the world.

And there was absolutely no way that she was going to fail. _Guaranteed_.

* * *

 **.: Lloyd :.**

Lloyd Garmadon had mixed feeling about this.

Well, mixed feelings about several things, really.

First, he was about to go on a date with a girl whom he had previously _hated_. In context, this was highly unlikely to happen, and he was starting to question his sanity at this point. The boy just couldn't figure out what made him say yes, and why saying yes was something that had him freaking out.

Part of him said that _yes_ , he did find her _slightly_... appealing. Her personality was intriguing indeed, and it was clear that she was just a good and non-manipulative person all around. Unlike _some_ people. And, well, Claire _wasn't exactly_ an _unattractive_ sight. Though, that hardly mattered. He had hated her from day one, so it was clear that _that_ had nothing to do with it. It only really, _really_ helped.

So, Lloyd was questioning what this meant for him. He'd never been in this stage before, and, to be honest, he wanted out. While he knew it was _normal_ for guys his age to be feeling like this, it wasn't like the boy willingly got up and shouted at the universe to give him these kinds of feelings. He'd just assumed they'd come later. _Much_ later.

The other part of him was in denial. _No_ , he wasn't interested in _any_ relationship involving a girl other than Nya, Skylor, or Pixal. Since they were all 'taken', their presence had never really mattered to him. And, ever since Claire had arrived at the academy, Lloyd was _positive_ that they would never, ever deal with each other more than they had to. In conclusion... there was no logical way that he had a _crush_ on this girl, who _happened_ to be on his mind throughout the whole day, despite however many distractions were sent his way.

Plus, in all honesty, the blonde was fairly certain that there was a long line of guys waiting to 'sweep this girl off her feet'. Pretty much everyone assumed that...

And, of course, one of those guys included _Jackson Maxx_ , the roommate of Jay. Pretty much a jerk in _every_ way possible, if he was being perfectly honest. In fact, he and Gwendolyn Dawson would probably make the _perfect_ drama couple. Too bad _they_ broke up and he was stuck with her throughout the whole day.

And it was _especially_ too bad that Jack had made a move towards the _only_ girl that Lloyd himself seemed to take an interest in.

This irritated him. _Badly_. Crush or no crush... there was a tight feeling in his chest when he saw them together.

Perhaps him and girls weren't meant to be. He'd have to live out his life _lonely_ , his mother acting as his _only_ female companion. It'd be a sad life for _sure_.

That was only the second thing that he was worried about... the third... would be this class.

To him, reading was just looking at something that someone had come up with because they had nothing else to do with their lives. But, he never found it fun. Fiction was intolerable... no... what he needed was nonfiction. The stuff that had structure. Facts. There was something to be gained from reading nonfiction. Fiction was just... well... _inconvenient_. A waste of time. _Nonsense_.

And, _writing_ was _worse_. It was one thing to make him read a few chapters of a book that didn't seem appealing in the slightest... but when you make him _create_ that nonsense. Well, there were going to be complications.

Throughout the teacher's whole spiel, Lloyd tried to keep his cool. But, it was hard not to panic. To slouch and run his fingers through his hair nervously. It was hard not to be the teacher's dream student.

Instead of even listening, thoughts began to flood through his head, distracting him from his surroundings. It was already determined that he'd fail this assignment. And when Lloyd failed, _everyone_ tended to find out. Talk about humiliating.

However, right as he had decided his fate, someone in the back of the class raised their hand, the excitement in her voice becoming crystal-clear. Of course, it'd be Claire. The freaking _Shakespeare_ addict. Poetry lover, and so on.

It was in this moment that the idea hit him like a truck. Surely, she'd be willing to help, right? After all, he'd shown her something not only that she asked to see, but something he held close to him. Surely, that be exchange enough, right?

Cautiously, he made his move, slipping his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone while Mr. McAllister faced the board. This was risky. He was _always_ a rule follower. And, if failing an assignment would get out, imagine how much of a big deal it'd be if he got sent to the office for texting during class...

Still, Lloyd had to ask her.

As soon as he'd sent the message, which had desperately said 'I need your help', the blonde waited anxiously, lowering his phone in hopes that the teacher would never guess that it had been out.

 _What are you doing, Lloyd? Are you really going to stoop this low? It's not like she's going to respond anyways..._

To his pure astonishment, she did.

'Texting in class? Really?'

 _Calling me out for a mistake. Typical._

As quickly as possible he typed out his reply.

'Just hear me out. This assignment is going to kill me'

 _Buzz_ 'And you want my help?'

The blonde gulped, imagining the worst. Worst case scenario would be rejection, right?

'Yes! You like this kind of stuff'

 _Buzz_ 'Of course'

'So... can you help a guy out?'

 _Buzz_ 'What do I get out of it?'

Lloyd took a deep breath, sliding his fingers along the small keypad of his phone. He had to find something to persuade h

'Um... how about I help you out with the science project. I'm pretty good with things that actually have structure.'

 _Buzz_ 'I will continue this debate later. For now, I had something I wanted to show you that might help you out. You still up for meeting today?'

It felt like he was being asked the whole question again. Except this time, he could say no...

Yeah, who was he kidding. He had nothing better to do.

'Sure thing.' He typed, then shook his head and deleted it. Instead he changed the message to 'That'd be great.'

 _Come on, Lloyd. Stop being a wimp._

'Yeah I'd be down for that' He wrote, looking it over.

"Stupid." He ended up muttering, moving his fingers to replace the message with something else.

Lloyd probably went through about a _dozen_ messages, some of them including 'why not', 'okay', 'I guess', 'you know it', and an ambitious attempt at 'do birds fly'.

The end result was perfect, though. Just a simple 'I'll see you there'.

Sighing at how much effort that took, the boy pressed send, hoping that the answer was chill enough. Not something where he'd sound desperate.

To his relief, it worked. Though her reply wasn't necessarily a word, the smiling emoji was enough to make him lighten up. Maybe he was just overreacting.

Or maybe he had every right to worry. He'd just have to find out.

 **.::.**

Lloyd had stopped in front of the glass doors belonging to the most popular coffee shop around the area, hoping beyond hope that this wasn't a mistake. Too many things could go wrong here. One, someone could potentially find out about this 'not really a date' and spread the rumor that he was interested in Claire. Two, he could mess this up. And there was a high chance that that would happen one way or another.

It was a known fact among his group of friends that Lloyd could not communicate with girls on his own. He tended to say stupid things when trying to have a friendly conversation, and one time, he'd even offended a young girl back in his freshman year.

Unfortunately, he'd only added to the list, back when Claire and him were alone in the stadium. Afterwards, was the infamous guilt trip. Sure, he didn't like girls, but he tried to respect them. It only made him feel like an awful human being when he said something he shouldn't have said.

So, it could be said that he was on edge at the current moment. There was no telling what mess he'd gotten into.

Sucking up his worries, Lloyd found the courage to step through the door, bookbag slung over his shoulder as he looked around the small space for a certain ginger. His relief when he saw her, _alone_ , was indescribable.

Lloyd, trying to make it seem as if he wasn't here just for her, quickly stepped up to the cashier, a young barista to his annoyance, and placed an order for a beverage, graciously paying up a few dollars. With a drink in hand, he then casually walked over to the girl, who had her head buried in a book.

Awkwardly, he ended up sitting down.

"Soooo, this idea of yours. Let me hear it."

Claire didn't look up from the book, in fact, it seemed as if she didn't hear him.

"Your attempt at a conversation is straight to the point?" She asked, flipping a page.

"Well," Lloyd started, with a blush. Just one sentence and he'd already messed up. This was going to be _wonderful_. "Um... how was your day, then?"

The girl shook her head, indicating that he'd done something wrong _again_. "Mmm. Too _normal_. Try something more along the lines of 'I woke up today and decided to have waffles for breakfast cause that's just what we football people do'"

Lloyd, even though she sounded completely serious, couldn't help it... he started laughing. "Why so random?"

Claire shrugged, seeming prepared for a question like this. "One, it lets me know that your decent enough to look like a fool in front of me... Two, it shows me that you appreciate being different from everyone else once in a while. Trust me, I do it with Nya all the time. It's just an interesting approach..."

"Ohhhhhkay then." The teen chuckled, slipping his bookbag off of his shoulder and taking a look around the shop. Currently they were at a booth more towards the window of the building. The lighting seemed... warm. Not too bright, but not too dim. Kind of a perfect combination. The smell of coffee also contributed to the environment. All in all, it wasn't too shabby.

The girl sitting in the seat across from him chuckled as well, lowering her book and marking it with a post-it note.

"So. I _swear_ that I know you from somewhere, but, _please_ remind me of your name?"

Lloyd, quite amused, decided to play along. "To be honest, your majesty, I wasn't too sure of that myself. Perhaps you could somehow remind me?"

Obviously passing her standards, Claire let out a lighthearted laugh. "Yeah, what's with that anyways?"

The blonde froze, fearing he'd done something wrong. "W-What's with what?"

"On Monday... you called me 'your majesty'. I was just... curious."

Lloyd could have sighed with relief. But he didn't. He needed to be calm. "Oh. That... um, well, you just really remind me of royalty, for some reason. You just have that... regal air."

The ginger rolled her eyes at that, moving to push something into Lloyd's line of view. "Behold," She started in a playful manner, "I give you... the greatest writer of all time."

At this, the boy groaned, knowing exactly what was going on. "Are you serious? I asked you to _help_ me! There is no way that reading this stuff will help me understand."

Claire clicked her tongue at his impatience. "It's not about understanding. Remember what I said about the words?"

"What? That they _feel_ good? What does that even mean anyways."

It was clear from his tone that he was regretting his decision to come here. Mostly because this was not exactly his ideal form of a 'date'.

"Oh, Lloyd. I just want to help you know that things aren't always going to make sense. Take the words for example..." Claire opened the book to a random page. "Read it and tell me what it means."

With a huff he did exactly as asked, reading over a passage and trying to make sense out of it. Nothing seemed to connect though. Grammar was all wrong and the phrases were all over the place. It was his nightmare.

"I-I don't know... can't you just... tell me?"

Claire shook her head, shyly, smiling at his ignorance. "No. Because what I'm trying to show you contradicts the walls of logic..."

Lloyd opened his mouth to say something to that, but she held up a hand.

"Now, you're going to try it my way. And, instead of trying to figure out what Romeo here is trying to say, just _listen_. The words aren't supposed to make _sense_. Just listen to how they make you _feel_."

He muttered something unintelligent, making her giggle before gesturing for her to go on.

"Okay. Here's what you're going to do... just close your eyes and listen. Got it?"

"I'm telling you... this is a lost cause. I'm just going to end up failing this assignment. On the bright side, I get to say _I told you so_."

"Not if I can help it," she replied, clearing her throat as his green eyes became unable to see. He took a deep breath, wanting this to be over as soon as possible.

"Oh... she doth teach the torches to burn bright...It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night..."

Immediately, the first thing that the teen noticed was the sound of her voice. There was just something different about it in this moment.

 _Come on Lloyd. Focus on the words_.

But it soon became hard to follow along with what she was saying. Instead, her voice sounded foreign, almost angelic, the words sliding off of her tongue like... like they were just _made_ to be spoken by her.

For the few moments in which his eyes were closed he felt the same logic which pretty much defined his life slip away, leaving him and her with the poetic words.

And, soon, he found that Claire was _right_. He _did_ feel something. The way her voice sounded when she softly spoke the unknown words was like... watching fireworks explode into a _multitude_ of _color_. It was too much to take in all at once, yet, for some reason, he _liked_ it.

"And... touching hers... make blessed my rude hand..."

She talked in such a way that made Lloyd believe that she _truly_ loved these words. That they were a _part_ of her... coming from her very _heart_ and soul.

"Did my heart love... till now... Forswear it sight..."

She was like the poetry _itself_ , he soon realized... Beautiful in her own light and not understandable to those who tried to look at her. Maybe... Maybe, well, people needed to look at her in a different perspective. Just like the very way she read her books upside down...

"For... I never saw _true_ beauty... till this night..."

As she gently said this, Lloyd found himself unable to restrain from expressing a soft smile at what he just found. He wanted to stay there, though. He wanted to hear more of the words even if they didn't exactly make sense. Because it was that _feeling_... he'd never had it before. But it was the best feeling, by far, that he'd ever had.

 _For I never saw true beauty till this night_...

Somehow, those words were the ones that he held onto, using them to tap into that feeling again.

"So... was I right?" The girl asked silently, almost a whisper. She was no longer pouring herself into her words... now... she was speaking normally.

Yet, despite the fact that he could now understand her, the words coming from her still sounded poetic, in a way... and... maybe they always did. Maybe they always _had_. Maybe, now that he'd gotten a look into her world, he'd discovered not only a feeling, but a different perspective.

"Yeah..." He swallowed, opening his eyes to reveal the real world, and, probably most importantly, a pair of chocolate brown eyes. "Yeah... You were right..."

They both fell silent in that moment, locking eyes with each other as they recalled the things they'd showed each other. It was clear that they were different, in more ways than one... but, the thing that didn't make sense to Lloyd was why he didn't feel so different around her. She was a mystery for sure... yet, he felt a strange connection to this girl.

 _Maybe it's not about understanding. Maybe it's just about looking at it in a different perspective. To see its real beauty._

Never before did Lloyd _ever_ think he'd admit something like that to himself. He'd always agreed with the matters of _logic_. To the fact that everything should make _sense_. Everything should be like the lines he loved to draw. _Connected_. _Perfect_. And, eventually something amazing would come out of that.

However, here was Claire, sitting across from him, and changing his whole outlook on logic with a matter of a few poetic lines.

It was... inspiring.

"What'd I say?" She asked, becoming somewhat playfully cocky.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I was wrong. And... I think I've actually got an idea for Mr. McAllister's 'project'…"

"That's the spirit!" The ginger replied joyfully, nudging his arm.

He laughed as well, before remembering his part of the bargain. "So... about the science project..."

"Ah, it's fine. I already finished it anyways. Besides, I'm glad I could help a...a... friend?"

Lloyd, slightly disappointed with that term, nodded, for her sake, and for the fact that this didn't _need_ to get awkward. Being referred to as a friend was perfectly fine.

"Soooo, yeah," the teen girl continued, tapping her fingers on the table as the silence dawned on them.

Lloyd felt his face heat up as he realized that they were still on a date. Correction: not-date. Either way, he should at least be attempting to keep the conversation going.

"Tell me," He stated, leaning forward in interest.

The ginger smiled awkwardly, wrapping both hands around her cup, slowly lifting it towards her mouth.

"Tell you what?" She mumbled into it, taking another small sip.

Lloyd, knowing it was too late to go back, reached his hand out, and lowered the warm drink.

"Your story. I gave you some of mine... now it's your turn."

Claire looked at him weirdly, obviously taking in his intentions, before wistfully moving her gaze to the rest of the room. Despite it being cold out, there weren't many people occupying any other tables. They were pretty much the only people in their general area.

She didn't say anything for the longest time, only gazed around her, a hand covering her mouth. This was obviously a deep topic. Maybe he'd went too far.

"Look, Claire. I-I didn't mean to offend you or anything... I f you don't want to talk abou-"

"No," The girl interrupted, focusing her attention back on him, "I'm not offended." She bit the inside of her cheek, her head on a hand. "I mean, I don't remember much... Just Wu when I was really little. And my foster parents. Other than that, I have little memory of my early childhood."

"Little memory?"

"I guess that I have _something_. It's not much though. You might not even find it interesting, anyways."

"No, no. I'm interested. I really am. Is it... a picture? An object? Some... small kind of memory?"

Claire shook her head. "It's a poem."

In reality, this news wasn't shocking. She seemed so dedicated to the art of poetry, that this was in fact expected. But, now he could understand where her passionate roots stemmed from. It was a childhood poem. Probably special to her in some way.

"Could I... hear it?"

Once again, the girl shook her head. Lloyd felt disappointed at this. It was tough for him to open up like _she_ had asked. Normally he'd hide his hidden love. Now, here she was, denying him the opportunity to look deeper into her world.

"But... I could show you." She continued, to his relief. Lloyd smiled slightly, letting her know his appreciation. In all honesty, he felt somewhat pushy all of a sudden. Was he really that desperate for an answer? Apparently...

As he looked over at her hunched over form writing on a piece of paper, he tried not to take notice into the smooth strokes of her hand. The movement, just like everything she did, really, was strangely distracting, with a graceful kind of air. The pen in which she was holding gently sliding across the paper to make elegant letters. Cursive, he realized with a strange feeling of 'of course'. Cursive did seem like her style.

Once the ginger had finished, her chocolate brown irises locking onto his as the paper was handed to him. He took it hesitantly, whispering the words out loud in thought, before realizing that Claire was starting to get up.

"I'm usually only here for a while... and, honestly, if she figured out I was here with someone else, tonight would be a nightmare of questions I don't want to answer." Then, before turning around, she gave a shy wave.

Lloyd, not wanting to seem any more desperate than he already had, nodded in understanding. Even though he himself wanted their time together to be longer. And, now that she'd helped him out with Creative Writing and showed him her idea, they no longer had any reason to meet.

Unless... he told her something she might want to hear.

Lloyd considered that for a while, knowing fully well that it was risky. They were still in fact getting to know each other, but telling her how he felt would be the most effective way to keep her around.

Unfortunately, _he_ still wasn't sure how he _actually_ felt about her. While this meet-up might have been a good experience, he still didn't want to go out and admit to both him and her that he held some affection for her. It seemed too soon. Too forced.

But... she was already out the door. Out of his reach. Walking down the street.

However, if he hurried, he might still have a chance to catch her before the ginger became lost to him in the mass of people crowding the streets.

"Why do I have such weak resolves?" He muttered to no one in particular, shoving the poem into his pocket, grabbing his bag, and running out into the alarming cold weather to catch up to her.

"Wait! Claire!" He ended up calling out in an attempt to get her attention. It worked, and she soon froze, looking back to see him jogging over to her.

"Yeah?"

Lloyd stood there, trying to catch his breath, but mostly figuring out what he should _say_ to her.

"Y-You're not too bad."

The girl stared at him for a moment, her brown eyes sweeping over him in some kind of analysis. Then... she smiled. The smile that he'd grown to like.

"You're not too bad yourself."

"And... we should do this again. A proper one though."

He grabbed her hand in his, hoping to get his point across, all the while trying to calm his racing heart. It'd be a lie to say that he hadn't heard about her from other guys. She was known for refusing the company of a multitude of them... and he could be one of them.

And too his horror, she became somewhat mute. Staring at their two connected hands with an unreadable expression.

"If I'm being perfectly honest..." She started, monotonously. At this, Lloyd tensed, ready for the rejection. But, to his astonishment... it never came.

"I think that'd be nice."

Lloyd felt like he was about to _die_.

With that, she softly leaned in, kissed his cheek, and walked off. For real this time.

And... he just stood there... wondering just what the heck had happened. Surely, he hadn't just asked _Claire Wilson_ and received a 'yes'. Not to mention a kiss on the cheek...

He felt at the spot where'd she'd touched it absent mindedly, not able to stop the definite idiotic smile forming on his face. This was just too great. More than great, even.

And, it was then that he'd made a decision...

 _Maybe poetry isn't so bad_.

Almost immediately followed by a realization that he didn't know a _single_ thing about a _proper_ date.

* * *

 **Annnnnnd... wow. That turned out much differently than expected. Guess you say that it was** _ **Unexpected**_ **! Yeah, I'll show myself out. Only right after we get into those lovely reviews. Yay!**

 **Thank you to EnergyBlast Diamond, BedazzleDewdrpos, and NovaShifter15 for showing this story some love! I really, really appreciate it.**

 **EB: Thank you friend EB (I hope that you of all people can catch where that's from). Your compliment was taken very, very well. And, yeah, I guess Misako can guess that something's up. Buuuut, she's not quite aware that it's Claire yet. She does find something off about her son recently, I can give you that. And, yay! More fluffies to share XD I like this attempt at writing a date a lot better than my previous ones, if we're being honest. Also, yeah. The glasses were something I wanted to try. He just seems like a glasses person. And, I wouldn't necessarily call them nerdy ones either. He just looks super mature with them on. I'm working on the characterization too... so, let me know if ya catch more of that...**

 **Bedazzledewdrops: Yup, totally agree with you. The progress is somewhat slow though. Let me know if ya like it... And that was one of the more obvious one XD trust me, there's some deeper ones hidden.**

 **NovaShifter15: Interesting thouhgt. I like to think of myself like** _ **Claire**_ **instead of Claire like** _ **me**_ **. Does that make sense? I don't know... it just seems wrong to think of my character taking after me. If anything, she's a false reality me. The girl I probably could be (minus the looks part XD) but just can't seem to pull off. And thank you! It's hard to see my work as incredible, though. Probably because I'm a slightly biased writer.**

 **Peace out, y'all!**

 **~Rain**


	5. Chapter 5

**AHHH! I DID IT AGAIN!**

 **Hehe... to say I'm sorry for making you wait so long, here's, um, a chapter?**

 **Yeah, so to clear this story up, this doesn't take place exactly in Ninjago as said before. But, I have made Ninjago references. The 'history' that Claire explained was basically their unit on Historic Legends. And, I have mentioned Chen's Noodle house before too... so, that's why. It's a mix of our crazy stuff and their fantastically crazy stuff.**

* * *

Chapter 5

 **.: Lloyd :.**

Lloyd loved his life. Honestly, he did. It was _pretty much_ tuned to the upmost perfection... and, while it had its perks, he wouldn't want it any other way. He was quite aware of his fortune. The opportunities he gained every day. The many paths his life could spiral in. Which was good. Ever since attending this school, he'd worked _hard_ to get to this position. Sometimes people didn't see that.

The boy wished people could magically know that _he_ wasn't perfect. That this all hadn't just landed his front door. He wished people would just assume that he didn't know what hardship was.

And, most of all, he wished he could be considered normal.

Popularity wasn't exactly something that he enjoyed. If anything, he missed the good old freshman days, where he was just like everyone else. Where he wasn't considered _good_. Where he could mess up. Where he didn't have to change himself just to fit society's standards.

In reality, Lloyd really wasn't confined to anything. He could screw up on a test if he _wanted_. He could quit football if he _wanted_. He could even go as far as to start drawing in front of others again if he so _wanted_. Yet, out of a fixed mindset that he didn't mind, Lloyd never admitted that he _wanted_ any of these things.

Except to _one_ person.

He wouldn't call it being 'in love'… but, being with Claire was something else entirely. He began to look forward to her entrances each day, no matter how small and simple they tended to be. Just _seeing_ her was enough to make him smile. And it was even better when she _talked_ to him. Though they never had any interactions in _public_ , their small texts made his day so much better.

He'd come to confide in her. And Lloyd always hoped she saw him the same way.

Perhaps he should just ask her how she felt. Maybe that would be easier on both him _and_ her. Maybe then he wouldn't spend days upon days dreading the fact that he still had not met up with her again. Lloyd felt slightly guilty at this... it had been a number of days since their last get together at the coffee shop. And in all that time he'd been keeping her waiting.

Even though Claire never showed any signs of irritation at this, the teen still couldn't help but become anxious whenever she happened to be near.

Surprisingly, this had been happening less these days. Not because Lloyd was becoming comfortable around her- if anything, that was _far_ from true-but because no one had been seeing her much in the previous days. And everyone knew why.

This was Claire's first experience with Finals. And while they all took this time of year _extremely_ seriously, for the sakes of their own futures, Claire was determined to ace these tests. As a result, she pretty much confined herself only to her bedroom walls, hardly coming out of the room, and only focusing her attention on a computer screen. Lloyd hadn't seen her for what felt like an _eternity_. That was, like... _forever_.

And, while it was quite embarrassing to admit, he missed her company. He missed _her_... he really did. It was sad that he wouldn't be able to see the girl for a bit longer.

Lloyd was currently working the afternoon shift for his part-time job at Doomsday Comics; a place in which no one, besides his friends, knew he worked. And thank goodness for that. Normally on Saturdays the boy would be free, but, one of his co-workers, Kita, also known as Tox, was sick, meaning he had to come in to take her place. Not that he was complaining. He'd been in love with comics since grade school.

Despite his love for this topic, today had turned out to be quite a waste. It was a small business, meaning there weren't many customers anyways. And the snow outside didn't seem to help. Not one person had showed up today.

So, he was pretty much on a very, very, very long break.

His fingers hovered over a multitude of contacts on his phone, including Nya, whom he had been in a deep discussion with earlier that morning, Kai, and Jay. Any one of them could keep him occupied enough until his shift ended, yet, before pressing on Jay's name, he stopped short, seeing a familiar name on the bottom of his screen.

Claire had kindly asked everyone not to bother her until she was done studying for Finals that very week, so, it was surprising to see that she was active on messaging at that very moment. Actually, it was _beyond_ surprising. In fact, the blonde swore that his heart stopped for a beat too long as he saw her name.

Without any further question, Lloyd gently tapped the name on his phone, hoping to message her before she went away again.

The problem was... he had no clue what to say. The green-clad boy had probably fantasized a _dozen_ conversations with her in a slight hope that she would decide to come out into the world again. Yet, as he stared at his screen, a lump formed in his throat, as he deeply contemplated what to say.

Luckily he didn't have to.

As message appeared on the screen... from Claire.

'Hey'

It was a small word. It had absolutely _no_ significance. But, the word from _her_ made the blonde smile brightly.

'Hey, Claire. How's life?' He typed, with a smaller smile. Though he couldn't see her, the boy hoped he could make her laugh just as easily as she could make him smile.

 _Buzz_ 'Exhausting. And loooooong. Can't forget that _'_

Lloyd bit his lip, wondering what exactly he should talk about...

 _Just ask her..._

'To be honest, I thought you would still be studying. Taking a break? _'_

 _Nooot exactly what I was going for..._

 _Buzz 'Actually_ , yes. I think I'm ready enough.'

Lloyd couldn't blame her for wanting to be prepared. He was quite stressed about the week ahead, if he was being perfectly honest.

 _Buzz_ 'Do you know where you're going to go to college?' He read, as he looked back down at his screen. The boy blinked, registering.

'I'm going to try for Borg Tech. Mom and I are positive that I'll get a scholarship'

 _Buzz_ 'Majoring in Architecture, I presume? Tough course.'

The boy smiled at this, glad that he had chosen her to share his passion. In the long run, it felt nice.

While college wasn't actually that far away, Lloyd couldn't believe he was almost out of highschool. It had been a long time... and, after everything, he kind of almost didn't want to leave. His friends were so much more than that. They were like family.

The thought of them separating, after all this time, was almost too much of a thought. In fact, it made his head hurt.

'Zane's for sure graduating this semester along with Pixal, and they already applied. If I'm lucky I can squeeze in there with them'

It was something so stressful to think about. Sure, he already knew what he'd major in if he had the chance, but, this was Borg Tech. His dream school. What if he wasn't accepted? Where would he go then?

What he'd give for her nomination. With an opportunity like _that_ he'd be set for life.

How was it that she was still stressing over finals? Surely, she knew that his Mom's recommendation would eliminate _any_ tough obstacles. All she had to do was drop out of school, complete a few online courses, and _boom_. A clear and easy path ahead.

Who would deny that?

 _Buzz_ 'It's their loss if they say no, honestly. But, I'm sure you'll do fine'

 _If only it was that easy_ , he thought, moving his fingers to say just that. But, then, his mind began to process what Claire had just said.

 _It's their loss_...

A blush crept up to cover his face as he started to wonder what she meant by that.

 _Just ASK her..._

'I guess you got done just in time for the dance on Monday'

 _This_ is what he'd been meaning to do for a long time, now. Since the teen had absolutely _no_ experience with dating, a simple 'do you want to go to the dance with me' felt appropriate enough. After all, he and Claire had only just started to get to know each other. As much as it felt like he'd known her for his whole life, in reality, it was only mere week or so.

Therefore, he'd come to the conclusion that a more _mature_ , if you will, setting would not suit them.

He just didn't want to ask her over _text_.

But, what else was he supposed to do? Sure, he knew of normal highschool customs, and how the guys usually asked their dates through more creative means. However, it was too late for Lloyd to come up with something _now_. The dance was literally in two days.

And, if he was being honest, she'd probably say no anyways. She probably already had plans, or, even _worse_ ; a _date_. With _someone else_ other than _him_.

Maybe _that_ was why she hadn't said anything about the coffee shop and his request for another get-together. Maybe she had already moved on.

 _Buzz_ 'I'm not going to the dance. I might do some final studying for Tuesday'

The words were a practically a wave of relief, washing away every previous worry that crossed his mind.

A surge of adrenaline pulsed through him as he realized that this was his chance. The thing he had been looking for for a while. He could ask her right here, right now.

And, he knew he wouldn't regret it. Lloyd was sure that Claire was the exact person who'd make a normally uncomfortable night, enjoyable. He really, _really_ wanted this.

 _JUST ASK HER_

'Yeah. I'm not going either. Dances aren't really my thing'

As soon as he'd sent it, Lloyd groaned, setting his phone down on the desk and taking the liberty to lightly slam his head on the polished surface.

He really _hated_ himself sometimes.

The teen convinced himself that he wouldn't even _try_. He'd mess it up like _always_. So, he ignored the buzz from his phone, coming from Claire. If he didn't look, then, he wouldn't be disappointed with himself any more than he already was.

This, in itself, worked for about _two_ minutes. As more and more notifications on the device sounded, he couldn't take it anymore.

Lloyd, with poor resolve, picked up the phone again.

'Really? I thought for sure you'd be going with Gwen...'

"Gwen?" The blonde mumbled aloud.

'Why would I go with Gwen?'

 _Buzz_ 'I thought you and she were... together?'

Lloyd couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. He had to read it several times to grasp his head around the concept.

'Why would you think THAT'

Why _would_ she think that?

And probably more important: did that _bother_ her?

If only they weren't texting. Maybe if they'd been interacting with each other in person, he'd be able to read some kind of emotion.

'You mean you're not? Wow, sorry. I just assumed...'

'Oh... No, that's not my type... the more you know...'

 _In fact, my type is well-educated, red-haired, brown eyed, fiction and poetry enthusiast. The type of girl who likes to read her books upside down. Oh, if only you could know..._

Absentmindedly, the boy's hand traveled to the feel of a familiar strip of paper tucked away in his pocket. Admittedly, he hadn't felt it in him to leave it anywhere else. So, he'd been carrying the poetry everywhere he went, trying to make sense of the words any time he got the chance.

Despite his efforts, his straightforward mind couldn't grasp the concept of the elegantly written words. But, that never stopped him from looking at it from time to time. The faraway logic of her poetry was like a lonely island, where he often traveled to whenever he needed to gather his bearings.

He'd learned to love words. Not just words that made sense, but, even those that didn't.

She had yet to know that, though.

 _Buzz_ 'Ugh, sorry, gotta go. Jackson and I are meeting up'

 _And_ just like that, he felt stupider than ever before.

Of _course_ , Jackson had gotten to her first. The jerk of a teammate had felt entitled to everything... including companions. Heck, he was so annoying that even Gwen had felt the need to break up with him. That said a lot.

The question was: was Claire really that blind?

 _Maybe that's just her type_...

Once again, he hated himself. For not only trying to pursue Claire, but, for _looking_ at his phone again. This heavy feeling in his gut would not be present if he had just ignored the numerous messages.

With clenched teeth, and, an unmistakable feeling of disbelief, Lloyd typed out a reply, hoping to be a good sport about this. If Claire wanted to be with someone else, well, he couldn't do anything about it.

'Well, I won't keep you any longer. Have fun'

Lloyd felt sick. Even encouraging her to have a good time hurt. The ache in his chest was immense, and, all Lloyd wanted to do was go home. Go home and never look at this screen ever again.

Why did he even _have_ to try? Apparently, he was so focused on his crush to notice that she and another guy had a deeper kind of connection.

 _The way I remember it, this not how fairytales work_.

It was a stupid thought. The thought that he and Claire could have been something more. He'd been disinterested in girls his whole life, and, after _years_ the universe _finally_ gave him a girl that would catch his eye. But, ironically, she wasn't into him.

His first crush. First rejection.

Maybe he should have started dating earlier. Maybe it wouldn't hurt so much if he had.

 _Buzz_ 'Haha, not planning on having any fun. Just heading down to the library'

 _Since when does Jack read? If intelligent boys are something you're looking for, I have much more to offer than him..._

'Talk later, then?'

 _Buzz_ 'Absolutely! Coincidentally, Nya and I were going to go Ice-Skating tonight at the park tonight, but she changed her plans to study with Jay instead'

 _Buzz_ 'I was kind of disappointed because going alone wouldn't be as much fun... You, don't have to, but, I'd like it if you could come along. That is, if you aren't already busy'

His mind was like fireworks, exploding with one word: YES!

But, if Jack found out...

He'd be dead meat.

 _Say yes and have a potentially great time with Claire, but, get on Jack Max's bad side? Or say no, be forever alone, regret saying no for the rest of your life, but also safe from anyone's anger..._

 _Yes or no? Yes or no? Yes or no? Yes or no? Yes or no?_

'I'm not too sure... sorry'

 _Buzz_ 'Okay... uh, tell me if you change your mind. I really want to get out of the dorm today'

This wasn't unfamiliar by _any_ means. He'd had to reject _countless_ women on offers such as this...

But this situation was different. With this one, he wanted to go. Saying no was agony.

'I hope you understand. It's very short notice, and, I'm quite busy'

 _Buzz_ 'Yes, yes, of course. Apologies. I'll catch you later though'

'Sure thing'

At last, he tore his eyes away from the screen, unable to look at it anymore, despite his previous need to check on what she was saying.

And, after a moment of acknowledgment for his previous interaction with Claire, Lloyd, unfortunately came to this conclusion:

He hated his life.

* * *

 **.:Claire:.**

Claire was slightly disappointed as she watched Nya leave her in the dorm _again_. After meeting up with Jack to help him finish his notes for finals (a bit late in her opinion), she reluctantly retuned back to the small room, regretting the hours to come.

Nya found it quite funny. Only because when the ginger first arrived, it was a sport to get her outside. Now, all of a sudden, Claire had a need to do everything she could outside the dorm.

Little did Nya know that Claire found this more _weird_ than anything.

Claire didn't know much about her own emotions, but, it was surprising to see herself wanting to interact with her peers more. And, not just any peers. Lloyd, in general, occupied a lot of her free time. She would often message him, heaven forbid in front of Nya, in hopes that he'd respond in enough time to make her smile. He had yet to fail at that task.

She was quite content with her new friend, if she was being honest.

Despite this, the girl couldn't figure out why she was left wanting more.

It had been nearly a week since she last talked to him. _Really_ talked to him, at least. She had yet to find him in the library, sketching lines to complete blueprints. And Claire hardly had any courage to approach him in public. Their friendship was from a distance... a secret distance relationship.

Claire masked herself very well, but, deep down she was heartbroken. This boy that she had come to appreciate couldn't even bring himself to act like friends in front of a crowd. Day by day the ginger felt as if she was being pushed away...

Was he ashamed of her? Embarrassed to be near her?

Maybe so...

She, of course, shouldn't have jumped to any conclusions when he denied her request to meet up that night. It was stupid and inconsiderate of her to ask him on such short notice. He probably was extremely busy.

But, there was always that aggravating ' _what if_?'. What if he said no because he _didn't_ _want_ to? What if he _wasn't_ busy? What if he was avoiding her? What if she had done something wrong already? What if he didn't really enjoy her company? What if he only met her at the coffee shop _just_ to get his assignment done? What if he never enjoyed _any_ of their interactions?

She despised 'what if?'

Currently, Claire was lounged on her bed, lazily reading through a collection of poems. They weren't Shakespeare, and they weren't perfect, but it was poetry, nonetheless.

 _I want you to know, you brighten my day._  
 _Even when you stop just to say hey_  
 _Your smile so bright, is what keeps me going,_  
 _Which keeps my love for you showing_

 _I want you to be happy,_  
 _I only wish it could be with me,_  
 _Because even though I'm not "higher class"_  
 _I'm not something you should just pass._

Claire sighed, flipping the page as she found these two stanzas to be too confusing, even to her. Instead she focused on a different entry.

 _She tried to erase his picture_  
 _from her memory_  
 _She found it molded_  
 _in her mind like clay_

 _She wrote him love a poem_  
 _deep in her heart_  
 _And forever his love_  
 _in her heart will stay_

To Claire's surprise, and irritation, this one wasn't any better. The words weren't smooth. Instead they were ocean waves, crashing against the shore, trying to drown her. Below the surface of the water, Claire felt alone... miserable.

So she flipped the page once again...

 _If only for a moment_  
 _Can we call us more than friends?_  
 _And when they ask if I still Love you_  
 _I'll say more than "It depends."_

 _If only for a moment_  
 _Can we say we never parted?_  
 _Just lie and say I never cried_  
 _Pretend this sadness never started._

 _If only for a moment_  
 _Can we pretend you Love me too?_  
 _Cause it's only for a Lifetime_  
 _That I'm trapped in Love with you._

Claire had had enough. Her chocolate brown eyes barely scanned the last line, before she threw the book down on the floor, and walked over to the closet she shared with Nya. The girl was done with being alone for who knew how long. Her thoughts were all scrambled... not understandable. They were driving her emotions in a thousand different directions...

She needed air. And time to sort through her thoughts.

So, after grabbing her cash, and an assortment of warm clothing, Claire ventured into the cold winter air. Earlier that morning, she remembered a heavy snowfall, but, luckily, it seemed to be lighter, falling from the sky in peaceful flakes.

Already, she felt better.

And as she arrived at the snow-covered mass of the park, Claire had to laugh at how silly she was being. She must have been imagining something.

Soon, Claire was on the ice, after renting some skates, gracefully gliding along in swift motions. It had been a while since she was in this position... last time she had been ice-skating was with Wu, several long years ago. But, now that she was trying again, Claire felt all her old instincts kick in.

She let herself smile as she got the hang of her own steady movements, and she looked down at her feet, watching them separate, then come back in again; separate, then come back in again. The continuousness was mesmerizing, and, admittedly, she might have taken her eyes away from what was in front of her for a _tiny_ moment too long.

As she collided, Claire braced herself for the impact of the ice...

Instead, she felt herself become supported by the feel of a more secure build, her figure just _inches_ away from the ground.

The situation itself was quite humiliating, and, Claire was about to apologize... but, that was before her gaze locked onto a familiar soft emerald green one.

Call her crazy, but, she could swear that her face didn't become even more tinted by embarrassment.

Lloyd, like her, was wearing a jacket, with a green and grey hat and scarf (school colors, she presumed) while his hair, like always, was brushed to the side in a cute kind of "messy" way.

"Uummm," She hummed, biting the bottom of her lip, trying not to conform to the awkwardness as she continued to gaze into his eyes, " _sorry_. I wasn't really looking..."

The boy, whom was still just barely holding onto her, blinked, breaking eye contact, as he seemed to remember that she still needed to be pulled up. Lloyd did just that, keeping one arm around her just to make sure she could steady herself. Once she had done so, they continued to stare.

And, even worse, her thoughts became jumbled up again. She found herself unable to think properly as they stood there.

"I thought you said you were _busy_..." Claire finally stated, skating backwards slightly to put more distance between them.

"I thought _you_ said you were meeting up with Jackson..." He replied, seeming to be taking in her appearance. Claire blushed once again, remembering that she had left in too much of a hurry to do her hair like she usually did. Instead of being pulled into a simple ponytail, her ginger hair fell around her shoulders, framing her pale face and probably creating a _whole_ new look.

The girl shrugged, not wanting to think about _that_ interaction. Or a _waste of her time_ , if she had to put it simply.

"I was helping him study... didn't go so well, and, luckily, I managed to convince him that I had somewhere else to be..."

"Oh." The blonde across from her mumbled, placing his hands in the pockets of his green jacket. "Um, well, I got done early too. I came down here to see if maybe I could catch you... but, uh... _not_ _literally_..."

Both he and she chuckled at their previous incident, averting their gazes.

"So..." She started, once again, seeing her opportunity here, "do you skate?"

Lloyd smiled, followed by a brief nod. "My friends and I were in a " _tournament_ " way back when. That's how we met Sky."

"Really, now? And who won?"

Claire was _definitely_ not imagining the light pink tint on his cheeks as she asked.

" _I_ did, actually. Just barely, at least..."

Claire raised an eyebrow at this, wondering if he was trying to mess with her. She didn't see him as a skating type.

"What?" He asked, almost as if he could read her thoughts. "You don't believe me?"

"I never said anything!"

"Your face says it all..."

Claire looked heavenwards, daring herself to laugh a little.

"Well, mister first place in _everything_ , if you can _keep_ up, I _might_ let you skate with me for a bit."

With that Claire swiftly continued to glide along the ice, looking behind her to see Lloyd's reaction.

But, what surprised her was that he wasn't behind her. In fact, as she turned back around, she ran into him again.

The boy above her smirked, supporting her weight in his. _Again._

"How about this... if you can manage to stop _falling_ every three minutes, I _might_ let you skate with _me_."

As Claire was pulled back up to her feet once again, she flinched, feeling the warmth of his breath slide past her neck.

When was she going to stop blushing?

"Well... as a thank you for saving me... I'll invite you to stick with me..."

"As your friend and rescuer... I think I'll take you up on that _generous_ offer. It's not every day you get to skate with royalty."

"Nor save them..." The girl giggled

"Are you kidding me? In another world, I feel like I'd be saving people _all the time_. _Royalty_ included."

The two teens laughed once again, as they both set out across the ice to skate a few laps. Somewhere in there though, their hands must have latched, as they both looked down to see their fingers intricately entwined. After a brief exchange of 'sorry' and 'my bad', they moved farther apart, unclasping their hold on each other.

But, after a few more laps, laughs, and conversation topics, Claire felt the side of her hand rub against his, causing her to stiffen, uncomfortably.

It took her a moment to realize that was _intentional_ , as their fingers found themselves weaving together for a second time. Only, now, Lloyd didn't seem to care.

That, or he didn't seem to notice yet.

Either way, Claire didn't feel so confused anymore. There was only one thought. One emotion. One feeling throughout her body.

 _YES!_

"Hey, Claire?" The boy next to her asked, after a moment of silence, slowly leading her away from the crowd of people. The girl's eyes were shining. But, deep down there was some hidden confusion. "There is, uh... something I need to tell you."

* * *

 **Hehe, again... there was another long wait... yay me? My only excuse is YouTube. Tis a villain, guys.**

 **Yeah, nothing too special. This is me messing around with fluff. And emotions. But, hopefully some of you get through this alive. I feel like it's going to be a cringe fest all around.**

 **For those of you who are mad right now, I admit that I was slightly evil here. You'll have to wait and see what he's going to say. I bet NONE of you will guess it ^.^ (yes. It is a challenge)**

 **Just for some fun facts: I wrote ONE of those poetry entries up above. I did it a while ago, actually, on a website. I adorez poetry. Good luck guessing which one is mine XD**

 **Overall thank you for reading! And a special thanks to those who favorited/follwed, including rbrill345 and RaphaelsGirl45... we welcome you to the family! More thanks to those lovely reviewers: Mariah, EnergyBlast, BedazzleDewdrops, rbrill345, and puppylover2448! Your responses made my day much better :D **

**Mariah: Try hard he must! Or you know... man up (^.^)**

 **EB: Every time you say every chapter is 10 times better than the last, I feel PRESSURED man XD In all honesty thanks, fam. It helps more than anything. I need that motivation. (Happy early birthday!)**

 **BedazzleDewdrops: Good to know :D In my head, it feels kind of slow. Probably because the absence of action XD And thanks a ton! Glad to know you enjoyed it! Yeah, that was an actual Shakespeare passage (no way I can come up with THAT), so... the more you know**

 **rbrill345: Aw shucks. Too sweet! Honestly, that was one of my best chapters. **

**puppylover2448: I love it too! Sorry for the long wait! But, the good news is, this fic is still going :D Hopefully just as strong as before**

 **That's all I have, guys! Peace out!**

 **~Rain**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me two months ago: THERE! I've updated! Now I won't have to worry about this fic for a while longer.**

 **Me now: *peeks over from DH* Oops.**

 ***shrugs* can you blame a girl? No. No, you can't xD Here y'all go. A** _ **pretty**_ **solid chapter for the absolute** _ **best**_ **readers in the world. Enjoy ^.^**

* * *

Chapter 6

 **.: Lloyd :.**

Lloyd watched as her face displayed a variety of things. One moment it was surprised. Next it was confused. Then suddenly, she was blushing. But, to top it off, she seemed slightly angry now.

Annnd, he was starting to regret telling her.

" _What_?" She asked, her tone straight out _demanding_ an answer. Lloyd was in a slight shock, mainly for two reasons. One being he had only dealt with women who tried ever so hard to impress him, and the ones that became overly emotional if he had to deny them. Never had he dealt with an _angry_ one. It was almost... scary. Second, it had been hard to tell her about this... and no one said he'd have to _explain_.

"Yeah... Look, I'm sorry it's on short notice, but, I wanted you to know. I'm quite excited for this... and... well... I wanted to see what you thought as well..."

The girl standing in front of him shook her head, avoiding eye contact.

"I mean... yeah, I'm glad you decided to tell me, but... wow. I guess it was... to be _expected."_

Oh how he wished he could believe that. That she was happy about this news. But, the tone of her voice said otherwise. It made his stomach drop with disappointment.

"I'm sorry... it's just... did that just kill the mood? I thought it might be a good time to tell you before... well... the semester's end."

"No! No!" Claire started waving her hands in the air as soon as his voice drifted off. "It's totally fine, if not a bit sudden. But, having that fact hovering over us, I kind of had something to share too..."

"Oh?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow in a questioning emphasis. He hadn't expected _her_ to share anything.

A look of unmistakable guilt crossed her face briefly. Her nose scrunched when she talked, as though it was practically a crime to be saying these words. "Yeah... I've talked about it with Nya, but, I've never really come to a conclusion..." Her chocolate brown eyes seemed to lose a bit of enthusiasm at this. "I guess I'll start by saying that your Mom offered me something a while back... It's, uhm, a set of online courses. If I happen to complete them, I get acceptance into any college of my choice. And, I wanted to... _try_ it."

The boy's eyes widened.

So Claire was _actually_ considering it.

And, when she left at then of the semester, he would too. Assuming he'd pass exams, Lloyd would soon have all the credits required to graduate. A semester early. And, although she didn't have any credits, Claire would soon be leaving along with him. He had been upset to tell this new friend of his that he wasn't going to see her ever again. Yet, here she was with practically the same news as him.

 _But... you have something else you want to tell her_

The blonde had to admit, _this_ was the thing he had originally wanted to share. To finally get the guts to say he held feelings for her. A feeling that went beyond friends. He came here to do that. And he had the perfect chance to do it. She had stood there, waiting anxiously to hear the news. But, when looking into her warm chocolate brown eyes just moments ago, he chickened out. He told her another truth. A slightly less agonizing one, no less shocking.

He had never told anyone that he liked this girl. Ironically, he couldn't even bring himself to tell the girl in general.

 _The semester's pretty much over, anyways_... Lloyd thought, slightly saddened. Claire had been a wonderful addition to his life. Though she was slightly distanced from him, their secret meetings beat any gathering he'd ever had. Even with his friends.

Lloyd quite enjoyed her company.

And, he'd miss it when he was gone. When _both_ of them were gone.

"T-That's really great to hear," He smiled, trying to sound enthusiastic enough. But, his mind kept wandering off to what _could_ have been. It was his choice to graduate early. What if he hadn't taken that opportunity? What if, instead, he had chosen to stay longer. What if this moment right here had been the moment he told her how he felt. Maybe _she_ would have considered staying too. If, of course, she returned those feelings. They could have spent the last few months of school as a couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Though, the words sounded weird in his head, he didn't mind them as much if he thought about her hand in his as they walked down the hallways of NCA. Being with Claire definitely wouldn't have been something he would have regretted. She could make him happy. And he could do the same for her.  
Yet, now... that couldn't happen. "Kind of funny that we're both leaving... soon..." He smiled awkwardly, nervously rubbing his neck. It was a habit he needed to ditch one of these days.

"Yeah," Claire sighed, looking anywhere but his eyes. After returning their skates, the two teens started to walk around the park, taking in the icy makeover the small landscape had received. "Crazy... actually. I mean, the Academy was... great, I guess. Just not my thing. I've always been the one with a different perspective. It's what gave me my poetic style and 'creative flare'." The ginger chuckled, looking up into his eyes again. "But, that kind of perspective never fit well with the way of the world."

The topic at hand wasn't necessarily something to be cheerful about. In fact, it was quite the opposite. How Claire stood out to the point where she couldn't fit well with the majority. To the point where she was falsely misjudged.

It hurt to think he was one of the people who did that at first. Claire's personality was the exact opposite of his. And, he held that card against her. At least until she managed to change his view on something that wasn't meant to be changed.

Now... he loved that air about her. She was different indeed.

"I... think that's perfectly fine. I like the way that you see things. It's influenced me too..." The boy in green admitted, feeling the heat rush to his face.

Claire beamed. "Well... if there's anyone that would understand... I'd rather it be you. Instead of the rest of the world."

 _And if there's anyone I'd want to give everything I had, to do everything with, to spend endless days with, I'd want it to be you. Instead of anyone else in the world._

He swallowed, hoping to erase those words from existence.

"Same with you," Lloyd said in reply, watching as his breath come out as a wispy cloud.

As he said those words, a silence took over whatever mood they had previously set. Lloyd desperately wished she could say something, but, it was clear she was just as discouraged as he was.

At least until she giggled.

"What?" He asked, grinning as he found that she was sporting a bright smile.

"Nothing," She lied, obviously. That smile was soon covered up. Except another chuckle soon escaped. The ginger shook her head again. "It's just... I always wondered why Gwendolyn hated me so much. But... well... Jay told me something recently. About you, actually."

"Oh?" Lloyd was surprised. For all the wrong reasons.

"Yeah. I- uhm..." Claire started. Lloyd notice the faint pink hue on her cheeks. "He... He said you called me pretty. In front of her."

Lloyd stopped in his tracks, processing that.

He said those words _ages_ ago. When she first got here. He nearly forgot about that incident. But, Jay obviously didn't.

Lloyd couldn't believe the guy.

Claire stopped as well, standing in front of him with a semi-hopeful expression. As her eyes reflected something playful, the boy felt the urge to hide, as he was now trapped. Between the girl he liked and his dignity.

What to say, what to say...

"Just pointing out the obvious, you know?"

For as much as he didn't exactly like saying things like that, he certainly enjoyed seeing her reactions when he said things like that. She was cute when she was flattered.

But, all too soon, that blush fell short, instead replaced by serious eyes.

"I'm leaving right after exams you know. _Wednesday_ , Lloyd. _Four_ days. It's not that far away..."

He swallowed, trying to accept that. Really, he knew that it was crazy to want to tell her _now_ how he felt. Sometimes he just had the _worst_ timing.

"Yeah?" He managed to say.

It was weird for Lloyd. The blonde had developed a crush on this- this _girl_. He knew pretty much nothing about her. Only just a small sliver of her life had been revealed to him. Yet, the thought of her leaving so soon; leaving _him_ until he could actually graduate early... that made him kind of want to cry.

She seemed to share that confliction.

"I feel the same too, Lloyd... About you... I just wished I'd have realized it sooner..."

"You and me both..." He sighed. Claire smiled up at him, holding up her hand. And, without much hesitation, he cupped it between both of his own hands. And he looked at her. Really looked at her.

When he did that, Lloyd swore he saw everything he could ever want.

Realizing that this was the perfect moment to do exactly what he came to do, to tell her exactly what he wanted to say, Lloyd held her hand firmly.

He could do this...

"Claire... I mean... It's only two days away... The dance, I mean..." Lloyd cleared his throat yet again. "Do you-" _Come on. You've been putting this off too much. Too late to go back._ "Would you...?" _Go to the dance? With me?_ "I just wanted to ask if you'd..." He took a deep breath. "If you'd like to maybe go with me..."

The snow was coming down harder now.

For the few seconds that she was completely silent, Lloyd noticed everything. The golden glow of the streetlamps, the light winter breeze, cooling their exposed skin. He shuddered a bit, regretting the somewhat light clothing he was wearing.

But it was her _continued_ silence he regretted the most.

"Claire?" He asked, becoming anxious.

He shouldn't have said anything.

"No." The girl before him replied, bluntly, as she looked down at their connected hands.

Lloyd blinked, confused.

"W-Wha-?"

"I said no..." She repeated, but, this time... sadly. The girl then pulled their hands apart, letting hers gently fall to her side.

"I don't understand..."

Claire's head swayed from side to side. "I don't either, to be perfectly honest. But, I just... can't."

The weight of her words was heavy. All of a sudden he didn't mind the cold. That's not what he minded at all in this moment.

It was his crushed heart.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, near to tears. "I just... I _can't_ go. Because then I'll want to _stay_. You'd somehow convince me..."

"Claire, I promise, I fully support your-"

"Then I'd convince myself! You just..." Her brown eyes closed, and he watched as warm tears flooded the brims of her eyes. Before he could see more, though, she turned sharply, walking away.

Lloyd didn't know what to do.

Did she just say no? After telling him that she felt the same? After giving him that kind of _hope_?

Ah, what was _wrong_ with him? What had happened?

He did what his instinct told him to do. _Run_.

"Claire! Wait!"

She was already ahead of him by a few yards.

He trotted faster, hoping to catch her before she became lost in the crowd gathered by the frozen pond.

It felt just like their first date. Where he just couldn't help himself. That day he ran after her, afraid of losing her like he was in this moment. He had called out to her and she had responded. Yet, unlike last time, she only kept going.

She was _trying_ to get away from him.

"Claire! Just wait! Please!"

People gave him odd looks as he pushed them out of his way. Right now, he didn't care about possibly knowing any of these people. Nor did he care about keeping his cool or being polite. He only cared about her in that moment.

"Lloyd!" Someone called out. The voice sounded familiar. But it wasn't hers.

It called to him again, pulling him back into a reality he wasn't quite ready to come back to yet. Nevertheless, it was then that he realized he lost sights of her.

There, to his right, were several people. Cole, Kai, Skylor, and Zane.

It seemed that this pond was popular on Saturday nights.

"Dude! Where have you been? We called you several times." Cole asked, waving him over.

Lloyd was in too much of a panic to argue.

"Where'd she go?"

Skylor, who had her skates on before the boys, glided over to where he stood beside the frozen pond.

"Who?"

" _Claire_... she- she just _left_... I _need_ to find her."

He'd braced himself for that rejection the first time he had asked her. But, the boy didn't think he'd have to consider any further rejections after that. Was he really that horrible? Had her opinions changed?

Lloyd needed answers. He needed to make _something_ right.

"Lloyd? Are you okay, dude?" Kai questioned, skating- nearly tripping- over to where he was too.

"I do agree that you seem... distressed." Zane inferred.

Skylor gasped. "Is Claire all right? Did something happen to her?" Her face then transformed. From shocked to angry. Her amber eyes seemed to burn right into his, a clear warning displayed in them. " _What did you say to her Garmadon_?"

Lloyd didn't have the time to explain.

" _Listen to me_! _Where_ is she?! Where did she _go_?!"

His four friends, looked at him with surprised eyes as his tone was raised.

Lloyd _never_ yelled. Not at them.

This was something that mattered to him.

Without another word, Skylor pointed to a path on their right.

And as he turned his head in that direction, he saw it. There, retreating along the snow-covered path, was a figure illuminated only by the glow of the lights. Her arms were wrapped around herself, to conserve heat, and she was trying to call a taxi.

Luckily, she was inexperienced in that category, and, Lloyd knew he still had time to catch her before she got that ride.

"Thank you," was all he could say, as the boy dashed away.

Lloyd had been doing this for years. Running was nothing new to him. He'd carried himself and his friends to victory many times. Because that's what he was supposed to do. Win.  
But this time it was different. The boy was running _for_ something this time. Something he cared about. It felt almost... good. He kept his eyes locked on her as he did so, too determined to let her leave. Not now. If she was going to leave, he needed to end this the right way.

He was afraid of rejection. Yes. But, she could say no all she wanted. He knew how he felt about her. He knew it all too well. And, gosh darn it, if she wanted to travel halfway across the world, that wasn't going to stop him.

"Claire!" He called yet again.

He saw her turn her head, her ginger hair following that movement. And he watched her as she desperately tried to get a ride. She began waving her arms in the air, trying to get someone's attention.

And he watched as a ca pulled up to the curb, allowing her to get in.

But too bad Lloyd was an athlete. His feet could carry him miles. And he was prepared to go that distance.

Fortunately, he caught the cab just in time.

Lloyd called the cab to a stop, opening the door before it locked.

"You with her?" The driver asked, looking into the rearview mirror as the teen ducked down to get into the car.

"Yes, sir," he responded as politely as he could all the while avoiding eye contact with Claire. He pulled the door closed, thanking the universe that he was able to get there in time.

" _Please_ , call me Ronin. Where to?"

"Um. Take us to Ignacia Avenue, please." With that he handed five dollars to Ronin.

It seemed to be enough, because they were soon on the road, heading to the exact place he needed to take her one last time.

Both Lloyd and Claire were silent. Both stared out their windows, pressed up against different sides of the car. And both were freaking out.

Lloyd could tell, even without looking directly at her, that Claire was nervous. Just as nervous as he was. Her brown eyes were no longer clear as she stared out at the cloudy evening sky. They were elsewhere; a thousand different places at once.

He knew how that felt almost too well.

"There you go kids," the man in the front seat announced as he started to pull over.

"A little farther," Lloyd said, leaning forward to point. "Second to last building"

Ronin nodded, looking behind his shoulder to see Lloyd. He nodded his head at Claire, who seemed too lost in thought to notice the interaction.

"That your girl?"

Lloyd let that question burn into his head along with millions of other questions that were left without answers.

When the blonde did so, a smile tugged at his lips.

"Not yet. But, I'm hers."

"Does _she_ know that, pal?"

"She will... _soon_." Or so he hoped.

The man smirked, turning to face the road again, mumbling. "Teenagers. You give 'em a meter, they'll run a mile."

Lloyd chuckled, sitting back if not to enjoy the last stretch of the ride.

"Well... you folks enjoy yourselves."

With that, the doors were unlocked, and, a brief wink was flashed in Lloyd's direction. He knew what that meant.

 _Good luck_.

The soon-to-be graduate nodded his appreciation, gathering the courage to leave the cab.

Claire followed as well, intaking a short breath as she looked at the building they were currently at.

The car engine announced that Ronin had left, leaving both standing in the falling snow, looking at their destination.

"You wanna come in?" Lloyd asked at last, fishing around for the key in his pocket.

"But your mom-"

"Won't be home for another few hours," Lloyd finished for her, pulling out the shiny silver key. He held it up, as if to make a point.

Claire stared at him, asking without words if he was serious. However, the blonde gave no indication that this was a joke. In return, she sighed, walking forward.

Together, they made their way to the fourth floor, shivering at every gust of wind that blew their way. No word was exchanged, nor a single glance stolen. Instead the tense atmosphere around them continued to expand.

"Welcome to my humble home," Lloyd joked, hoping to somehow make her smile.

If his words brought her any sort of joy, though, Claire hid that emotion well. She walked past Lloydonly to stand in the middle of the entrance. The other followed, stepping around her to close and lock the door. Then, he kicked off his wet shoes, shrugging.

Claire, who obviously didn't know how to 'make herself at home' copied, brushing off her wet jacket as well, only to hang it up on a nearby coat rack.

Lloyd didn't care about the coat rack, he just flung his jacket in the closet.

"I would like to offer you some food, but, I'm, like, ninety-nine percent sure all we have are frozen goods and cheerios."

"That's fine," Claire muttered, looking around awkwardly.

Lloyd manners kicked back in, and, he held out a kitchen chair for her. She took the hint, sitting down comfortably as he went off to prepare at least something to drink.

"You like tea?" He asked, looking behind him as he balanced several different kinds from the cupboard.

"Um... I can take it black."

He made a face, not to fond of her request, but still being a good sport about it. In no time at all, Lloyd had two cups of the warm drink prepared, as well as sugar and milk.

"I didn't know what you liked," he admitted, setting everything he was carrying on the table.

At that, Claire finally did smile, and she reached over him to grab the sugar.

"It's not even tea by the time I'm done with it," The ginger responded, pouring practically four spoonfulls into her cup.

Lloyd chuckled, taking about _half_ that amount.

Lloyd took his first sip. "You always did have an acquired taste." He sighed, pulling the cup away.

Claire smirked. " _You're_ an acquired taste." The girl teased.

Lloyd faked a pout. "Good looking guys not your thing?"

She giggled, rolling her eyes playfully. "More like _egotistical_ guys."

" _Says the girl_ hanging around Jackson freaking Max."

This remark had them both laughing in perfect unison.

"There's going to be some people I won't miss when I leave..." She started.

"Uh _same_!" He fully agreed, just thinking about all the rude snobs he had encountered in his years at the Acadamy. Missing them was far from being on his agenda.

"I can tell you're excited... for college, yeah?" She continued, pressing further.

It was such a simple question. With such a complicated effect on his mind.

Lloyd set his tea down, thinking over answer.

"I mean... yeah, I guess. It has it's ups and downs. I'm going to love getting out of this place, away from _sports_ , everyone who _thought_ that they knew me..."

"But...?"

"But... there will be some things I'll miss. My mom. This apartment. My friends. It's going to be scary, stepping into a totally different life."

"You'll be doing the thing you love, though," The ginger argued, setting her cup down as well.

"Of course! Once I get out, I'll be around more people that love to do the exact thing that I do. No more teasing, no more sneaking away just to do it. It's my main reason for wanting to graduate early. This was my choice, and, there's no way I'm going to regret it..."

She smiled, genuinely, resting a hand on his at his sudden enthusiasm. "You'll do great."

At this, he touched her spare hand with his.

"And so will you. Literary arts? Borg Tech? Your career will skyrocket... and... I'm glad that I get to watch that happen..."

Her gaze was hopeful as he said those words, and, Lloyd knew he'd never to be able to forget how bright her eyes seemed in the dim light from the lamps around the room.

"Do you think... I could see some more of your drawings?" She requested, looking eagerly towrads his room. It only warmed his heart when he saw how she generally loved the things he created. Like that first day he showed her... when she asked him to draw for her.

He couldn't refuse.

"Stay here," he replied, hurrying towards his old messy bedroom. The teen boy returned a few minutes later with a pile of notebooks and papers.

Claire was already positioned on the couch by the time he rounded the corner, eyeing a few photos his mom had taken the liberty of hanging up.

She flashed him a joking smile as he sat down next to her.

"I like your hair in all of these."

He sucked in a breath, eyes wide. "Is that code for it was _bad_?"

She laughed. "The bowl cut... was okay."

"Okay, _now_ you're just lying," Lloyd remarked, with a roll of his eyes just thinking about his old haircut.

She chuckled too, picking up one of his sketchbooks.

"Hey! Hey!" He said smartly, snatching it back as she started flipping through pages. "Handle it _delicately_."

She stuck her tongue out at him, prompting him to let out yet another laugh. She tried to grab it again. He only pulled it away farther.

"Show me!" Claire pleaded, giggling as she lunged to get the book. His arm was longer though.

"And skip out on a chance to play keep away? No way!"

Claire lurched forward again, trying to climb over his lap as he continued to hold it at a distance.

Her fingers almost grasped the edges; however, Lloyd snaked a hand around her stomach, keeping her from moving forward any more than she already had.

" _Sta-ahp..._ " She whined, wriggling around in his firm grip.

"Ah, but we're having so much fun..." He complained, waving the sketchbook around above her head.

" _I give up_ ," The girl groaned, lightheartedly, relieving herself of her position. Instead, she stopped struggling, laying down on her stomach across the Lloyd's legs. "I'm too short."

"Don't be like that," Lloyd teased, resting the book against the back of her head. Claire reached up to get it, a smile plastered on her face as she adjusted her position. She now lie on her back, against his legs, holding the book up in the air as she glanced at each page with an amazed expression.

"These are awesome!" She exclaimed, pointing to a picture of a small hut. "is that a beach house, or something?"

"Yes, actually," the boy confirmed, grabbing the book so he could look at it as well. Claire sat up, sliding up next to his side and hugging her knees. "I like the beach. My friends and I went after one of our first football games. Just to celebrate. It was a good spring break..."

"I've never been to the beach," Claire said wistfully as she reached out to flip a page. She yawned after doing so. "Always wanted to go, though."

"You're missing out," Lloyd said, carefully wrapping an arm around her. The girl didn't object, instead, settled in closer to Lloyd, resting her head neatly on his shoulder. "I'd take you if I could."

"I'd _let_ you take me if you could," She smiled.

They stayed like that, slowly turning the pages every few seconds, completely marveled at the intricate designs portrayed on the paper. Each one was so different from the last, yet, they were all just as breathtaking. Lloyd couldn't believe he could _actually_ spend the rest of his life drawing like this. _Building_ like this.

But, there were even more things he wished for. They went beyond his talent.

"Hey Claire?"

"Yeah?" She whispered. Lloyd could notice the hint of tiredness hidden in her quiet tone.

"Why'd you say no?"

Claire sighed, seeming almost prepared for this question. "I thought it'd be for the... best. The dance is so close. And then I'll be _leaving_ soon after." She yawned. "It'd be a whirlwind of emotions I don't really need right now."

"I see..." Lloyd inhaled, preparing himself for another question. "So... is this... is this _goodbye_ then?"

He didn't want that to be true. Unfortunately...

"Yes, Lloyd." The truth hurt. "No more meeting up after this. It's..." She yawned again. "It's pretty much _done and over_. Not to say... Not to say I won't _miss_ you. It's just..." Another yawn. "I'm not that fond of goodbyes..."

"Neither am I," he agreed, looking over at her. Her eyes were clearly losing some kind of battle, as they fought to stay open. He had to smile though as her eyes finally shut, and her figure completely melted against his. He relished her warmth, holding her a bit closer as he too closed his eyes.

But not before reaching over, ever so slightly, to turn off a nearby lamp. The room went almost completely dark, and, Lloyd smiled once again, whispering the words to nobody.

"I'll miss you too..."

With that, both fell asleep, grateful that for what it was worth, they at least had one final goodbye.

* * *

 **Well... that went according to plan. Your fluff has ceased xD I'm warning y'all ahead of time that I wanted to make this AU as realistic as possible. Cute as these two are together, it just wasn't going to work out.**

 **Or will it?**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 7, the finale, in order to find out how this ends.**

 **Oooo the suspense ^.^**

 **Shout outs to Crystal Cea, ThePowerOfOats, and WolfieLE for favoriting/following! Your support keeps me going :D Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed: EnergyBlastNinjaWriter and LloydLuvr. Like Always, you reviews make my day. So huge thanks for your continued support.**

 **EB: Once again... TYPO! Geez, cut me some slack xD And, I swear... the references are REAL! I hope you catch all of them in this chapter xD Glad you enjoyed :D**

 **LloydLuvr: My friend, I always LUV seeing you pop up on my fics xD Glad to see you enjoy this, even though it's rarely updated. I see you like the ship ver very much, which makes my heart jump for joy :3** **Honestly, thank you so much**

 **Quick author moment for me! I would really appreciate it if you could all go look at one of my newest fics :D It's a collab between me and EnergyBlastNinajWriter expressing our love for this ship (LloydXClaire) and we would both REALLY appreciate it if you could go check it out.**

 **Thank you all for being so supportive and awesome ^.^ Peace out!**

 **~Rain**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, this is it. I said beforehand I was making this fic relatively short (and yet it dragged on since September xD) so, this was to be** _ **expected**_ **(Me and my humor)** **. The** _ **finale**_ **.**

 **I've never really** _ **had**_ **a finale before, as all my fics are** _ **still**_ **dragging on... so... this will be interesting. It's kind of sad to see this go, but, there are other projects that need my attention. However, I would absolutely** _ **love**_ **to hand it over, should any of you want to continue it :D That, or, somewhere down the line, I can make a sequel...**

 **Let me know guys xD**

 **Anyways, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who supported this story ^.^ Those who favorited, followed, reviewed, or even just sat down to** _ **read**_ **: Thank you :D I don't think I can ever tell you how much I mean that...**

 **Like always: Enjoy...**

* * *

Chapter 7

 **.:Lloyd:.**

Lloyd Garmadon checked his phone.

8:15. He still had time.

The campus was basically on the outskirts of the city, leaving a mass of small shops and cafés available for use. He often liked to take a walk around these parts. Especially on a fine autumn day like today.

Class didn't start till 10:00 anyways.

Though all his friends were already in their respective classes, leaving him 'lonely', Lloyd took this in stride, knowing fully well that he could still enjoy this time on his own.

The folks around here were much more pleasant to be around. Unlike at Wu's Acadamy, most didn't actually know Lloyd. They only knew him as the friendly guy, or the architect. Not the star student. And definitely not the star player. Those who knew him, knew him as Lloyd. Simply put.

Lloyd smiled as he looked out at the sky. It wasn't gray, like it usually was around this time of year, leaving a perfect canvas of light blue, dotted with wispy white clouds and a golden morning sun.

He loved College.

Though the work was sometimes overwhelming, and, there were constant tests and projects, Lloyd found comfort in this type of learning. It offered much more, including a refreshing feeling of independence. It felt good.

It wasn't Borg Tech. As, unfortunately, they declined him, yet, Lloyd couldn't imagine being anywhere other than NCU.

His phone buzzed with another message. He assumed it was Kai.

He assumed right.

'Ever checked out Mystake's? Heard they had some good stuff.'

Lloyd smiled, recognizing the name.

'You mean that crazy place everyone talks about? With the creepy manager?'

 _Buzz_ 'Yeah. Nya says they have a new 'attraction'…'

Lloyd blinked, realizing Kai was hiding something here. There was a specific reason he wanted Lloyd to go…

Only one way to find out, the boy figured.

'What's that supposed to mean?'

 _Buzz_ 'Can't spoil the surprise. Sorry dude.'

Surprise? That piqued his interest.

'Fine. I didn't really have a place in mind. Might as well check it out.'

 _Buzz_ 'What are you wearing? Have you at least brushed your hair? You might not want to wear the glasses.'

Lloyd did a once over in his bedroom mirror at that.

'Why? Why? And why?'

 _Buzz_ 'Because. Because. And because.'

Lloyd shouldn't have expected any type of answer, really. Everyone was just the same old, same old.

He still loved them though. They were his family, and, they made his new life so much better. It took a semester for Cole and Kai to catch up, however, after a long summer, they were finally at one of the best universities in Ninjago City. Even Zane enrolled, after finding that Borg Tech wasn't his environment.

 _Buzz_ 'Trust me, you'll want to look nice.'

'I'm not dressing up all fancy for a coffee shop, Kai. I'll just go as I am.'

 _Buzz_ 'You'll regret it when you get there...'

'That's a future me problem.'

 _Buzz_ 'I wish you good luck.'

'If I knew what that luck was for, I'd say thank you.'

 _Buzz_ 'Jay would have my head. So would Cole. And Nya. And, I'm pretty sure Sky, Zane, Pix, and Seliel are in on this too.'

Lloyd stared at the text. Over. And over. And over.

He wanted, desperately, to know what was waiting for him at that shop.

And he desperately wanted to know why it would mean so much to his _whole_ group of friends. Even the newer ones, like Seliel, who barely knew him.

'I'm going, I'm going. I'll text ya when I get there.'

 _Buzz_ 'Nah. You won't have the time. TRUST ME.'

The anticipation began to grow in him, and, he swung his bag around his shoulder, stuffing his phone in his pocket, and checking to make sure he looked alright. Lloyd would say so.

It took a lot of self confidence, but, Lloyd finally managed to start wearing his glasses in public. With his longer blonde hair, green eyes, and black frames around his eyes, one could definitely say that Lloyd looked older. He felt older too.

His friends still had yet to get used to the look, however, they were still somewhat supportive. The boy appreciated the effort his friends put into that acceptance. For so long, he'd worried that they'd see him differently if he came clean about his more 'secret' life. Now, they were closer than ever. And, in the process of revealing parts of his interests, Lloyd certainly learned much more about his friends. Things that shocked him.

Cole liked to dance.

Zane liked to cook.

Kai... well... Kai was more _bad_ at things, than good at them. Nya claimed the art of blacksmithing wasn't something he'd mastered well.

Nya was into mechanics, much to Jay's pure joy.

Jay only claimed he was a master of video games.  
That didn't surprise anyone.

And Lloyd liked to build.

He neared his destination, pulling out his phone to text Kai at least that much, and, ignoring the wind starting to blow harder. Winter was coming soon. It was only a matter of time before gorgeous days like this diminished. At least until spring.

At last, he reached for the door handle, not surprised by the ring of a bell as he entered.

Like most coffee joints, this place was quite small. Along one wall were dark shelves, stacked to the brim with colorful boxes and small plants.

It was decorated with bamboo and all along the walls were Chinese lamps, giving the place a mysterious vibe. And, on every wall was a mural, radiating with extraordinary color or designs. Lloyd stared at one, finding that the black brushstrokes created trees along a waterfall. It felt... cozy. Not somewhere he'd go by choice, but, definitely somewhere he'd enjoy being for the time he'd stay.

'Here.' He texted, pressing send. No one seemed to be around, so, he decided texting his friend could keep him occupied.

 _Buzz_ 'See anything... familiar?'

'No.' Lloyd rolled his eyes, knowing this was probably some kind of prank. For whatever reason everyone wanted to pull one on him.

 _Buzz_ 'Keep looking. You'll find it...'

Lloyd shook his head, moving to reply.

But... someone drew his attention away.

"Can I help you?" The girl asked, as Lloyd suddenly glanced up from his phone.

When he did, he knew exactly why everyone wanted him to be here. Something wasn't supposed to catch his eye. It was _someone_.

Claire had changed... _a lot_ since the last he saw her. Her hair was short now, and, was curled slightly with a white flower clip pinning back a few strands. And her lips seemed to have more color... lip gloss, he realized, surprised. He almost couldn't recognize her, if not for her familiar ginger hair. But her eyes... _That's_ how he knew he was looking at _her_. Never could he forget the warm brown eyes that belonged to Claire.

Somehow, it seemed she looked _better_ than she had almost a year ago. At the time... That would have seemed _impossible_.

" _Lloyd_?" Claire asked, almost as shocked as he was. Yet, he didn't say anything. He _couldn't_ say anything. The last conversation he'd had with her had been in his Mom's apartment, when both fell asleep. So much time had passed... and she'd hardly crossed his mind in the past few months.

Yet here she was. And suddenly every feeling he'd had from high school that he'd tucked away came rushing back.

"I _uhm_..." And just like all those months ago, he became nervous. A blush soon swallowed his face, something that hadn't happened in a long time. "Hey... _Claire_. Long time no see..."

He tried to smile. Though Lloyd knew he probably looked stupid.

Her shoulders dropped, as they continued to stare in utter silence.

" _Gosh_. They really _weren't_ kidding..." She muttered.

With that she just blinked, before walking behind a curtain. Not _another_ word spoken.

Lloyd stayed fixed where he was, unsure if she was going to come back or if she had just _left_ him there.

While he did so, he desperately checked his reflection in a nearby mirror. Maybe he should have taken Kai's suggestion. He did look kind of scruffy.

Quickly, if there was a chance that she'd come out again, the teen ran his fingers through his blonde hair, trying to straighten it. And, Lloyd silently cursed at how long his golden blonde hair had become. Then, he neatly folded his glasses, tucking them away, with the knowledge that he could go without them for a while.

There. He at least looked... _decent_...

Claire came out a few minutes later, balancing two hot drinks on a small tray. And, as her full figure came into view, he noticed just the small things about her. She was a bit taller than the last time he saw her. Nearly up to his chin, he supposed. And her back was straighter, as if she wasn't trying to hide from the world by curling into herself. It made her seem positively radiant. He realized that confident air seemed to be coming not just from her posture, but, from _every_ movement. Everything was so _sure_ ; so _clear_. She had changed indeed.

Add that to her new appearance and he couldn't stop staring.

Nor could he could he say a word. Still.

"I suppose it was only a matter of time before you came here..." She said setting the cups down on a table with a booth, with a thoughtful tilt of her head.

"I-I- uhh... It was- uhm- Kai, actually..." Lloyd stuttered, still at a complete loss for words. Claire just briefly glanced at him over her shoulder. Her gaze made him even more flustered. "W-What was... was that you said- uhm- earlier?"

Claire shrugged, standing upright, with the tray neatly tucked under her arm. He nervously touched at the collar of his sweatshirt as he realized this was his cue to sit down.

As he did so, Claire had taken the tray away, coming back to sit down in the booth across from him.

"Your friends had figured out I worked here a few days ago. First it was Cole and... Seliel, I think her name was. Then, the next thing I know Skylor and Nya were rushing in here." Claire smiled at that, obviously recalling a pleasant interaction with her high school friends. "Then, I guess everyone else stopped by on their own time. Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane all came at once, and, I was _pretty_ surprised you weren't with them."

Lloyd relished the fact that she had been expecting him. Before, that is, he realized he should _probably_ say something too.

"Um... college has kept me busy. I only get out in the mornings. And at night. No afternoons."

She nodded her head as if that confirmed her suspicions. "They talked about you though. _A lot_." Her eyes widened, emphasizing that. "I was just saying you were exactly like they said you were..."

" _Annnnd_...? _What_ exactly did they say?"

She chuckled, stirring her drink. "Your voice is deeper." She flicked her spoon at him. "You got taller. Which I do _not_ appreciate. And... I feel like your eyes suddenly changed?"

"Yeah?" He questioned. That was... quite an... odd observation.

Then again, his gaze had probably lingered a _bit_ too long on her just moments ago. Long enough to be considered _more_ than odd.

" _Oh yeah_! I feel like they're... _more_... _green_." The girl replied, tastefully. At this, she finally stopped stirring her drink, lifting it up to her mouth. When she finally set it down, she just continued chatting. He wondered how she did that. Talking like they had been friends for years. Especially since he knew her as a more... _quiet_... type. At least only when she _wanted_ to be. "And I'm not critiquing it or anything. It's just... I _almost_ didn't know who I was _looking_ at. Because... _well_..." Claire scrunched her nose. "You just went from downright _cute_ to straight-up _hot_ in... _what_? Like... a _year_?"

Lloyd didn't know what to think of that. She- _Claire_ \- had just called him...

He was flattered, really.

"You've changed too..." He started, wanting to tell her exactly what he saw.

"Oh, I know," She blushed, cutting him off. "A little more _talkative_. Short hair. Wearing a _touch_ of makeup." The girl giggled, waving it off. "Being cooped up in such a small apartment trying to complete those courses _really_ took a toll on me. You wouldn't _believe_ how much I wanted to get out there. It was like a complete... _switch_."

"It's a _good_ switch though," He blurted. " _Like_... _really_ good."

Claire smiled... and he was even more glad to say even _that_ had changed. Everything about her just seemed so... _inviting_. He felt a little more comfortable just sitting here with her. Like he really _was_ talking to a friend.

And a friend she was.

"You really are too sweet for this world, Lloyd Garmadon," The ginger said, sweetly. She placed a gentle hand on his, and he couldn't help but smile too. "I'm so glad I get to see you again..."

"As am I..." He admitted. Now, he really was grateful that Kai and the others had arranged this for him. Seeing Claire again... it made him think these past few months were just some kind of dream compared to- to... _this_. Did he really think this College life had been the best thing to ever happen to him? Maybe he didn't realize how much _better_ it could have been...

Wait...

"You mean... you _completed_ the courses? Then- Then what are you doing _here_? I thought..."

"I'd go for the _fancy_ , _glamourous_ , _celebrity_ school?" She giggled once again, causing his stomach to flutter. Lloyd hadn't had these _'butterflies'_ in a while. "I'm much more than just a pretty face, Lloyd. And a talented writer. I'm a _person_. Fairly simple at heart, as I've come to understand. And... _I don't know_... I just _knew_ I couldn't go. I needed to be... here. As someone who isn't seen for something... desirable, but as a girl who's chasing a lifelong dream. Kind of like you..."

Lloyd nodded, knowing _exactly_ what she was talking about.

Then... the realization hit him.

"Y-You _go_ here? To NCU?"

Claire nodded, grinning.

"I applied in September. Of course, with the completion of the courses, they said yes. And, I've been here ever since..."

"It's November... We haven't seen each other until _now_?"

The girl shook her head. "We've both got our schedules. I'm working here just to pay rent for that apartment. It might not seem like it now... but... it gets _pretty_ busy lately."

 _They've got a new attraction_...

Kai's words floated around his head, and, it did kind of make sense. The business here must be growing with someone like _Claire_ being around often. She was smart. Obviously very social. That smile beat the sun's light. And, by gosh, she was pretty.

He wondered how many guys she'd had a conversation like this with.

 _That_ bothered him. More than he cared to admit.

"Wow." The teen breathed, letting that small thought disappear. "I-I mean, like... _wow_... We seriously thought we'd _never_ see each other again... and now... you're _here_..."

"I _know_ ," Claire agreed. "Extremely..."

"Unexpected?"

"Exactly."

Lloyd grinned. "Well... No matter _how_ unexpected this all is, I'm glad the odds were in our favor. There's so many things I want to make up for..."

Claire raised a brow, setting her cup down completely.

"Like... what?"

 _Where was I going with this?_

"Um..." He shrugged. "I guess I _never_ really took you out on that date. I mean... _stuff_ came up, obviously, but... now that it wasn't really _goodbye_..."

...

She stared.

...

And stared.

And stared some more. A lot more.

All the while, Lloyd could feel his hands start to sweat, as her silence dawned on him. Ironically the things he hated about this girl had stuck with her. The _silence_ and _shock_ every time he made a move.

She clearly had no problem talking with him beforehand...  
So why couldn't she say _something? Anything_...

Claire didn't look offended. That was good. She didn't look disgusted. That was also good. Nor did she look sorry for him- he had assumed she was about to tell him about the lucky man who had already called her his own- so that was amazing.

But... she didn't look excited. Happy. Grinning ear from ear.

That wasn't good.

The stunned girl suddenly stood, stepping away from the table, eyes facing heavenwards as her deep, steady breaths became the only reassurance that she was nervous.

About what... he didn't know.

"You mean... like... _you_? And _me_?... _alone_?... on a date?"

Lloyd shrugged, failing to suppress his smirk. "Nah. I was thinking of bringing the zoo. Probably my teachers too. Heck, I've even invited Jack and Gwen back for all the fun." She narrowed her eyes, seemingly unamused. "Well, _of course_ it's you and me! That's what a date _is_ right?!"

Claire rolled her eyes, good naturedly.

"Claire, just know this. _Yes_. I had a crush on you in school. But you were always a lot more. You were my friend long before I wanted you to be. And you listened... no one else did. From what I understand... crushes come and go. Yet, I don't want what we had to just go as quickly as it came... I want to rekindle it. Maybe make it... stronger." He started twirling his thumbs, nervously. "Friends stay, right? Good ones, at least. And you were a good one. I-I'm still not sure what this will mean for us. And I'm still not sure how I feel. But... I want you to stay. In my life. Now. I think that one day we can be... together. Like a _couple_ , y'know?"

 _Gosh that sounded cheesy_...

Her brown eyes stayed fixed on him, before she averted that gaze, tucking a strand of her ginger hair behind her ear. "Us?"

"Yeah, _us_..."

 _Please, please, please. If there's anything I've ever wanted from you it'd be for you to say YES! It's only one word..._

Claire blushed, tucking her hands behind her back in that old shy way. He realized there would always be a part of him that would miss that girl he knew in high school. The one who barely said a word. Who had her nose stuck in an upside down book. The one with her graceful, quiet beauty.

Then, he realized, that this was only just a new beginning for them. There was still a long road ahead between him and this girl. He could just see it. She wasn't like she used to be. He wasn't like he used to be. They weren't those two "secret lovers" in high school anymore. But, things could change. And there was plenty of time for things to change.

"I think we'd make a wonderful _us_ ," The ginger admitted, to Lloyd's pure delight.

He too stood, almost stunned into silence like she previously was.

" _Really_? Like... you're sure?"

Claire nodded. "I don't want you to walk out of my life either. Though I agree being friends with you was positively amazing... I'd like to be something else one day too..."

"I'm free Tuesday..." Both said in perfect unison, sharing another smile.

"Well..." Lloyd concluded, sticking his hand in his pocket, while holding his still warm drink in the other, as he slowly put some more distance between them. "I'll make sure to stop by then... and... uh... how much did the drink cost?"

Claire walked by him, moving back to her 'position' behind the counter.

"No need. It's on me."

"No, no," He insisted, letting his manners kick back in. Claire was still just as humble and generous as before, it seemed. He had to do something in return. "How much? I mean it..."

Her nose scrunched up as he held out his card. Reluctantly, the girl took the plastic card, swiping it.

"Seven dollars."

"You're either messing with me or you get _one heck of_ a paycheck."

Claire chuckled. "One of those." With that, she handed him his card back. "Want a receipt?"

He looked at her, unsure if she was joking.

"For a _drink_? Uhhhh... no?"

She nodded her head.

"A receipt it is."

Again, there was nothing he could argue against. Claire was already printing it off, ripping it, and writing something on it. When she was done, she shoved that his way too.

"Have a nice day, sir."

And with a wink... she was gone.

Lloyd's heart was racing as he thought the whole exchange through.

Unexpected. Yes.

Much needed? Absolutely.

Something he regretted? Not at all.

You'd think he would collapse with immense joy as it was. Yet, when he looked at his receipt, collapse was an understatement. He could have _exploded_ with delight at the sight of a set of numbers.

Her new phone number.

And... a brief message.

'Do me a favor and keep the glasses on'

He ran another hand through his messy hair, pretty much unable to breathe.

Claire had noticed his glasses. And it seemed that she didn't mind them. That just made everything _better_.

Lloyd didn't know _how_ this one person had come back into his life again. He didn't know why. He didn't know how his friends knew that seeing Claire again was _just_ what he needed. He didn't know _why_ they cared.

One thing was for sure, though...

There was no way he was hiding Claire. Not this time. He'd let the _whole_ world know that Claire Wilson was his...  
His...

Well... they'd figure that out.

And this time... they'd do it right.

* * *

 _Dear Mom,_

 _How are you? It's been a while since I last wrote. But, don't worry, I've missed you._

 _Yeah, things are going great over here. Class is starting to get harder, though. I still enjoy it. The challenge is much needed. I can't wait to show you this work too. Some of my best._

 _My friends say hi. I feel like I know them so much better now that we're in a different atmosphere. They're like my family away from family. When you come visit, I know they'd love to see you._

 _And I'd love for you to see someone else too._

 _I've managed to find someone that I really clicked with. As you're probably dying to know: a girl._

 _I never really told you something during my last few days at the academy. Before I graduated, I had found a friend that really understood me. She was able to look at my designs and be absolutely amazed. And then she changed my opinion on practically everything I thought I knew. Because of that girl, I read a lot. And, strangely... upside down. That's a story for another time, though._

 _The point is: I'm happy. I've reconnected with her, and, have found that I enjoy being with her._

 _She's my girlfriend now. We've gone on a couple of dates, and, I don't think our relationship needed any further questioning. We both just... wanted this stage. And after a lot of waiting, just to see if it was right, I think it just dawned on us that we weren't meant to stay friends._

 _You've probably already guessed who I'm talking about. (She sincerely thanks you for your recommendation on the online courses by the way) Without them, she said she would have probably gone to a different school, so, I guess I have to thank you too._

 _Which is why I want you to see her. Soon. Not as a teacher and her former student. But as my mother and the girl I love._

 _You'll love her too. I can promise that. She has this thing about her where whenever she smiles, you can't help but do so as well. And, though I beg you not to embarrass me with this, she's the prettiest girl you'll ever meet. With the personality to match._

 _Honestly, it's hard to describe her in just a few words. You'll get a chance to see what I mean, though._

 _I didn't think there'd ever be a day where I'd be updating you on this kind of thing. I always thought girls and I weren't meant to be._

 _Maybe we aren't though. But, Claire's different. How I managed to find this one girl out of millions- the one girl who I can't see myself without. Who I can't see some kind of future without- is completely beyond me. We often like to question how it happened. Had I not found her in the park reading one day. Had she said something completely different than what she did. Had I not called her to apologize after offending her. So many little things made this happened. If they had been tweaked... well... a lot would be different._

 _I guess it really is the unexpected, small things that change our lives. The ones we usually overlook. (I took that quote from her by the way. I'm not a hapless romance like she claims I am)_

 _Anyways, I'll wrap this up with an 'I miss you'. Because I do. And an 'I love you'. Because I do. And a 'Yes my room is clean' along with a 'The dishes look beautiful'. Because I'm not a slob like you think I am. Just you wait._

 _Yeah, life's going good. Can't wait for you to see all of this. Like, really. I promise you won't be disappointed._

 _Love,_  
 _Lloyd_

* * *

 **You know what they say: There's a first for everything. I tried xD And I think I did ay-ok, if I do say so myself. You guys don't care if I aced this or failed though...**  
 **Or at least I hope you don't...**

 ***cough* Alrighty then! Let's get down to business! My thanks go out to Violet1Rose who favorited/followed this story. The much appreciated gestures made me smile :D More thanks to my reviewers, who crack me up on many occasions. Not only do I love hearing your thoughts, but, I love how you take the time to share such encouraging words ^.^ So thank you: Crystal Cea, LloydLuvr, ****EnergyBlastNinjaWriter , ThePowerOfOats, and Mork from Ork...**

 **Crystal Cea: Thank you, my friend ^.^**

 **LloydLuvr: Lloyd being an architect was mainly for two reasons: cuz I needed something for him to be insecure about AND because, yes, it does suit him. As the previous wielder of 'golden power' (what I assume is creation) I thought bringing him some of that into here would make it more interesting. And I get what you mean by rereading stories. I do that with a lot of other fics :D Just knowing you do the same for my work... aww... I can't even...**

 **EB: This ship was too much to handle xD I HAD to end it before my author instincts created complicated plot and dark to ruin this. Glad you caught those references too. I hope you enjoy this final chapter, my friend... And I** _ **officially**_ **beat you in** _ **ending**_ **and updating a fic. Where's my medal? XD**

 **ThePowerOfOats: References galore! Holy moly we have a DH viewer over here once more ^.^ I sincerely appreciate that you are taking the time to read my work. And are enjoying it, it seems :D Hehe thanks...**

 **I'll end this off by saying: YOU guys are AMAZING! Peace out!**

 **~Rain**


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